apparently it is noodle week

don't know why but i've been on a noodle craze. first it was vegetable-y soba with napa cabbage, tofu, bean sprouts, chard, and orange bell peppers, topped with dulse flakes (sea vegetable). and then i decided to get serious with some grilled pork ramen with shitakes, nori, scallions and napa cabbage. my kids slurped this up like it was the best thing they'd ever tasted. which i think it may actually have been, as they said they wanted it for their birthday meal next year. high praise indeed when it is good enough for the birthday.

there is a secret to this ramen dish, which i will now reveal to you. first go and read david chang's momofuku cookbook to get the right mindset, the mindset of a noodle master. and then go to your best local asian food store on the day they are unloading the freshly made ramen noodles and buy them up. fresh noodles are the whole secret. you could probably skip reading momofuku but it does help. the broth and the toppings are so simple you can't really mess them up. i totally winged it myself following no recipe. i made a dashi broth with kombu and bonita shavings and vegetables then added the soy and mirin to taste. and i marinated the some sliced pork tenderloin in soy sauce, mirin and rice vinegar for 30 minutes before grilling.

so go ahead and give this a try. your friends and family will be deeply appreciative, i promise. happy summer solstice to you, by the way. maybe it is the solstice and these ultra long days that is inspiring these long noodles. who can say, but i can tell you i would like to eat them all over again. yum.