New Years Consolation: Spicy Peanut Sauce
On New Years Eve Day, I received one of those calls to which there is only one answer. A friend, visiting NYC from Chicago to spend the holiday weekend with her boyfriend, was on the other side of the line, crying. It could only be the dreaded New Year’s Break Up.
I told Lady Luck to take the 4/5 to Brooklyn, and I’d be waiting there with a box of Kleenex. She erupted at the sight of me. “But why would he tell me to come to New York if he wants me to see other people?” She cried, hugged my dog, and cried some more. We got pedicures, manicures, waxes, and she knit me a scarf. A proper mix of hedonism, masochism, and old world functionality.
It was New Years, so the night was up to her. She could watch the ball drop at home, or welcome 2006 the festive way. I had no time or inclination to do any grocery shopping, but this woman clearly needed a soothing meal. I looked through the kitchen for soothing foods: ah, Peanut butter. Linguine. Shrimp. (Are you feeling me?) Spicy Peanut Noodles with Shrimp, coming right up.
She got on the phone and called around to her network of loved ones to tell them that the big trip had gone bust. (Clearly, this was before having my transcendental, last-minute, throw-together-what-I-find meal). She sat on my kitchen floor as I whipped this thing together in half an hour. I knew that she’d soon turn the corner from sadness to anger and on to completion; I was hoping a little extra Sambal Oelek might speed the process.
She ate the crunchy, rich, spicy peanut goodness with joy. She even had seconds (which I took as a real compliment, since her last breakup led to a 15 pound drop). Lady Luck emerged the victor, rallying to go party hopping that night.
It’s amazing what a little home loving can do. Try this on your friends and family, drama or no drama. It’s sure to soothe what ails you.
LUCKY’S SPICY PEANUT NOODLES WITH SHRIMP
By The Wooden Spoon
Serves 2
In this recipe, I’ve listed the stuff I had in my kitchen, with the “preferred” ingredients in parens if the primary ingreds are not available.
½ pound linguine (or ideally, fresh Chinese egg noodles)
½ garlic clove, smashed
2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
½ cup natural peanut butter
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar (or just 1, if you’ve only got some processed sugary peanut butter)
Juice of 1 lime (I had to use orange juice and rice wine vinegar. Kinda yucky. Get the lime)
1 teaspoon sambal olek, (get it, have it in your fridge. A staple. If you don’t have it, Tabasco is okay, but not great)
6 ounces frozen shrimp, defrosted
1 apple, or ½ cucumber, peeled and chopped into 1/3-inch cubes (1 cup mung bean sprouts, preferred)
1/3 cup chopped cilantro (again, I didn’t, but if you have…)
¼ cup roasted salted peanuts or cashews, roughly chopped
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil pasta according to package directions, and make it al dente – cook it to the lower end of the recommended cooking spectrum.
2. In a medium bowl (you’ll be making the whole dish in this bowl, so be sure it can fit), whisk together garlic, peanut butter, fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar, lime juice, and sambal. Stir, taste, adjust seasonings as needed. By this time this is all assembled, your pasta should be done. Take it out of the water, and toss it with the sauce.
3. Laziness test: If you’re not into doing a ton of dishes, simply toss the shrimp in the pasta cooking water, wait for them to turn pink and curl (2-3 minutes), and toss them with the noodles. If you want to maximize flavor (and are a better friend then I…) coat the bottom of a skillet with oil, and sear the shrimp on both sides (1 minute per side) until pink and curled.
Combine with the noodles.
4. Add apple (or another crunch item), cilantro, and nuts. Toss well, Serve with a few shrimp on top, and take away the Kleenex.
I told Lady Luck to take the 4/5 to Brooklyn, and I’d be waiting there with a box of Kleenex. She erupted at the sight of me. “But why would he tell me to come to New York if he wants me to see other people?” She cried, hugged my dog, and cried some more. We got pedicures, manicures, waxes, and she knit me a scarf. A proper mix of hedonism, masochism, and old world functionality.
It was New Years, so the night was up to her. She could watch the ball drop at home, or welcome 2006 the festive way. I had no time or inclination to do any grocery shopping, but this woman clearly needed a soothing meal. I looked through the kitchen for soothing foods: ah, Peanut butter. Linguine. Shrimp. (Are you feeling me?) Spicy Peanut Noodles with Shrimp, coming right up.
She got on the phone and called around to her network of loved ones to tell them that the big trip had gone bust. (Clearly, this was before having my transcendental, last-minute, throw-together-what-I-find meal). She sat on my kitchen floor as I whipped this thing together in half an hour. I knew that she’d soon turn the corner from sadness to anger and on to completion; I was hoping a little extra Sambal Oelek might speed the process.
She ate the crunchy, rich, spicy peanut goodness with joy. She even had seconds (which I took as a real compliment, since her last breakup led to a 15 pound drop). Lady Luck emerged the victor, rallying to go party hopping that night.
It’s amazing what a little home loving can do. Try this on your friends and family, drama or no drama. It’s sure to soothe what ails you.
LUCKY’S SPICY PEANUT NOODLES WITH SHRIMP
By The Wooden Spoon
Serves 2
In this recipe, I’ve listed the stuff I had in my kitchen, with the “preferred” ingredients in parens if the primary ingreds are not available.
½ pound linguine (or ideally, fresh Chinese egg noodles)
½ garlic clove, smashed
2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
½ cup natural peanut butter
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar (or just 1, if you’ve only got some processed sugary peanut butter)
Juice of 1 lime (I had to use orange juice and rice wine vinegar. Kinda yucky. Get the lime)
1 teaspoon sambal olek, (get it, have it in your fridge. A staple. If you don’t have it, Tabasco is okay, but not great)
6 ounces frozen shrimp, defrosted
1 apple, or ½ cucumber, peeled and chopped into 1/3-inch cubes (1 cup mung bean sprouts, preferred)
1/3 cup chopped cilantro (again, I didn’t, but if you have…)
¼ cup roasted salted peanuts or cashews, roughly chopped
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil pasta according to package directions, and make it al dente – cook it to the lower end of the recommended cooking spectrum.
2. In a medium bowl (you’ll be making the whole dish in this bowl, so be sure it can fit), whisk together garlic, peanut butter, fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar, lime juice, and sambal. Stir, taste, adjust seasonings as needed. By this time this is all assembled, your pasta should be done. Take it out of the water, and toss it with the sauce.
3. Laziness test: If you’re not into doing a ton of dishes, simply toss the shrimp in the pasta cooking water, wait for them to turn pink and curl (2-3 minutes), and toss them with the noodles. If you want to maximize flavor (and are a better friend then I…) coat the bottom of a skillet with oil, and sear the shrimp on both sides (1 minute per side) until pink and curled.
Combine with the noodles.
4. Add apple (or another crunch item), cilantro, and nuts. Toss well, Serve with a few shrimp on top, and take away the Kleenex.
posted by Allison Fishman Task at 6:38 PM
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