During this time, we can mix, we can mingle, we can have dinner with friends, we just have to start getting more…creative about it. Last weekend I decided I had a hankering for a Korean dish I make periodically in the summertime, cold buckwheat noodles. Its cold, it’s spicy, it’s topped with crunchy vegetables, a perfect hot weather dish. Now, I’ve never really made this dish for myself, while technically simple, there are a lot of steps to it, so I like to make it for friends. Bummer. Too bad I can’t have dinner with friends. Remember those days? Did I then really want to make these things just for myself or was that just going to bum me out? Then it dawned on me. Why couldn’t I make it for friends if I were super careful?
And that’s what I did…. to mixed results. And with this recipe you could too! Possibly with better results. 😉
First off, the ingredient list! 
- Precut carrots. (Trust me, worth the cost.)
- Iced Americano (Iced Americano, yes, this is an essential part of the noodle-making process. Who are you to question my instructions so soon in the process?)
- Eggs.
- Red Cabbage
- Gochujang (red pepper paste) 3 tbs
- Green Apple
- Korean Buckwheat soba noodles
- Daikon radish
- Sesame Seeds
- Cucumber
- Brown Sugar 2 tbs
- Sesame Oil 2 tbs
- Agave nectar (by using this instead of honey you can make the dish vegan if you choose) 2tbs
- Soy Sauce 3 tbs
- Rice Vinegar 2 tbs
Thing about the sauce ingredients? These are suggestions. The recipe is pretty lenient. Want it spicier? Add another tablespoon of Gochujang. Find that too spicy? Add in more brown sugar.
Cooking instructions!
- As this is an uncertain time, and you don’t want to pass anything to those friends you’re lovingly making food for. Put on your mask.
- Wash your hands
- Spray down your workspace
- Wash down ingredients.
- Wash hands again.
- Boil water for soba noodles.
- Mix all liquids. At this time you’ll realize you forgot the following ingredients
- Soy Sauce 3 tbs
- Rice Vinegar 2 tbs
- Realize water is boiling and toss in all your buckwheat. The longer your noodles marinate in the sauce the better the whole dish tastes. This dish could even be made the night before.
- Don’t forget to hydrate!
- Wash hands. Who knows where my cup has been?
- Check noodles. Realize by dumping them in all together and then leaving them like they are regular noodles, they are now clumpy and both over and undercooked.
- Turn off stove.
- Go to store for more noodles.
- Come back. Wash hands.
- Boil more water. This time boil only one pack of noodles at a time. They are repacked into individual bundles. I found by diagonally stacking each bundle, you have less chance of the congealed mess but also remember, buckwheat noodles need less cook time than regular noodles. When you think they are undercooked, maybe take them out of the pot. They will continue to cook. I think they only need to boil like 3 minutes.
- Check sauce. Still good!
- Start mixing! If you’re like me, a non-adult adult who doesn’t own a giant mixing bowl? Mix everything into a giant IKEA zip lock back and massage your noodles. The noodles don’t need it, but it will make you smile so, win.
- Wash hands! This time is just because you’re probably covered in the sauce mixture.
- Start chopping! Here is when you’re going to wish all of the ingredients came prechopped. Cucumbers
- Daikon radish
- Apple
- Red cabbage
- Praise yourself with for all that chopping! You’re all done.
- Wait. Hardboil the eggs. Shell. Put aside. Forget to include for friends.
- Assembly! Dig through container drawer and thank your mom for that habit of saving reusable containers. (Try not to comment about how many Cool Whip containers I own.)
- Artfully pack vegetables in a way that are pretty to the eye and will surely cause your friends to gasp in excitement. (Only realize once you pack everything up and drive it around, it’s not going to look anything like how you put it together.
- Cram as many noodles as possible in the containers as you’ve realized you’ve made too much. Best to
forceshare with friends.
- Pack up.
- Delivery. SaraG!
- Chat on the porch with your friend at a socially acceptable distance.
- LizC! (Make sure to actually call so if your friend is home but doesn’t see your ping, she can know you’re there. Otherwise, leave in a hidden area on porch.)
- Alix! (She’d like you all to note her super classy t-shirt since I’m taking a picture of her.)
- Go home! Wash hands.
- Arrange your own food! Noodles first, artful veggies on top. Sprinkle everything with sesame seeds.
- Eat cold buckwheat noodles for the rest of the week because you really, really, really made to much.
See? Now if you follow these fairly simple steps, you too can surprise and delight your friends with cold buckwheat noodles while being completely safety and socially compliant! Happy Saturday!
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