Cold Sesame Noodles

 (Aldona)

Cook up one pound of pasta "al dente." It will go easier later if you break the pasta in half before cooking. (I use whole-wheat spaghetti but you can use vermicelli, regular spaghetti, soba noodles, Chinese rice noodles, etc...) Drain and cool pasta with cold water then drain again. Set it aside in the pot you cooked it in.

Prepare your "add-ins" and toss them into the pot with the pasta. I used one bunch of scallions cut into julienne strips, one can baby corn, 1/2 pound peas, one can sliced water chestnuts and one can mandarin orange segments. (Drain and rinse the canned ingredients of course!) If you eat meat, poached chicken breast is excellent and the original recipe called for 5 oz. ham cut into julienne strips.

Measure 1/3 cup soy sauce, hot chili oil (1 tablespoon or to taste) and 3 tablespoons ground coriander seeds into a cup and set aside.

Now heat 3/4 cups vegetable oil (I used half olive oil, half peanut oil but anything works!), 2 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil (adds good flavor) and 2 tablespoons (or more) sesame seeds in a skillet or saucepan on medium heat until the sesame seeds just begin to turn light brown.

Turn off the heat and immeidately add the soy sauce mixture. Be careful! It sizzles.

Pour the hot dressing over the pasta and add-ins. Mix together immediately. The best/easiest way is to use your (very clean) hands. Refrigerate. I sprinkled on some extra sesame seeds and mandarin orange segments for decoration. Eat.