For Cathy Z or anyone who cooks with Asian ingredients

K

karennoca

Well-known member
I just discovered Lan Chi Chili Paste with Garlic and with only a few tastes out of the jar, I am loving the it. It is addictive. Just enough hotness to be satisfy, not vinegary like others.

Does anyone else know of this product, and what do you do with it? This morning I went searching into my freezer to see what I could come up with. I found a large Country Short Rib, so decided to sauté onion, garlic, toss into the Crockpot with the big short rib on top of the onion mix, and threw in a couple of large chicken breasts. Then I made a mix of soy sauce, chili garlic paste and hoisen, a little hot water and mixed. This went into the crock on top of the meats. I figured we could each have a little of the rib and a little of the chicken. Gosh, does it smell yummy.

I can see using this in marinades, scrambled eggs and omelets, even soups, tacos. Any other ideas?

 
REC: Original 1970-80s NYC Cold Szechwan Sesame Noodles

Karen, these are amazing. When I lived in NYC, I ate these several times/week...

1 pound Chinese egg noodles (1/8,-inch-thick), frozen or (preferably) fresh, available in Asian markets

2 tablespoons sesame oil, plus a splash

3½ tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons Chinese rice vinegar

2 tablespoons Chinese sesame paste

1 tablespoon smooth peanut butter

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon finely grated ginger

2 teaspoons minced garlic

2 teaspoons chili-garlic paste, or to taste

Half a cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/8,-by- 1/8,-by-2-inch sticks

¼ cup chopped roasted peanuts.

Chopped cilantro

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add noodles and cook until barely tender, about 5 minutes; they should retain a hint of chewiness. Drain, rinse with cold water, drain again and toss with a splash of sesame oil. (Note from Richard: Do this the day before and chill--much more authentic and the noodle won't soak up so much of the sauce and become gluey.)

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons sesame oil, the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame paste, peanut butter, sugar, ginger, garlic and chili-garlic paste.

3. Pour the sauce over the noodles and toss. Transfer to a serving bowl, and garnish with cilantro, cucumber, and peanuts. Serves 4. Adapted from Martin Yan, Marian Burros, and memory.

Notes

1. The “Chinese sesame paste,” above, is made of toasted sesame seeds; it is not the same as tahini, the Middle Eastern paste made of plain, untoasted sesame. But you could use tahini in a pinch. You need only add a little toasted sesame oil to compensate for flavor, and perhaps some peanut butter to keep the sauce emulsified.

2. On which subject, the whole point of cold sesame noodles is what’s called in the food trade its “mouth feel,” the velvety smooth feeling of perfectly combined ingredients. That’s why you find so much peanut butter in preparations of cold sesame noodles. Peanut butter emulsifies better than sesame paste.

3. Hey, where are the Sichuan peppercorns? Sichuan food depends on their tingly numbing power! Perhaps, but the little fruits were banned from the United States from 1968 until 2005 by the Food and Drug Administration because they were feared to carry citrus canker, a bacterial disease. And while you could always find them in Chinatowns somewhere (sitting, dry and baleful, in a pile), there are few in the true cult of sesame noodles who use them in their recipes. By all means, add some if you like: toast a tablespoon’s worth in a dry pan, crush lightly and whisk the resulting mess into your sauce.

 
Thank you Richard, these sound wonderful. Are you not eating them now?

Thanks for the recipe...I am loving the chili garlic paste.

 
Oooh- I made this and these noodles are terrific. Got to make them again.

I found that the Rooster brand gets vinegary if it sits on the shelf a long time. I try to get a really fresh bottle when I buy it (it turns over quickly here on the island) and it is fine. I keep it in the fridge.

I love all your ideas, Karen- I use it in Mexican food, Thai, other Asian foods, sometimes even squirt a bit into mayo as a spread for sandwiches.

 
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