Peanut doubanjiang edamame noodles

makes a pretty delicious dinner...

Hello Community,

This newsletter is dedicated to that bag of edamame which I know you have in the freezer. Recently, I found a whole bag lurking at the bottom of my freezer and I set myself the task of using it all up, but not in the usual way, which may be in a salad or fried rice. The recipe I came up with is below, but first, let’s take care of business.

Some news and new recipes posted in the past few weeks.

Firstly, I am thrilled and honoured to say that To Asia, With Love was nominated for a James Beard Foundation award last week in the Vegetable-Focussed Category. Win or lose, I already feel awarded every day in this job - writing cookbooks and recipes that help home cooks put delicious, simple yet diverse meals on their tables every day is my prize. Having the privilege of telling stories that touch others, that create connections and build bridges, that is already a huge win for me. Thank you to everyone who supports me in this journey.

Onto food. This month, I was excited to finally share this miso corn pasta on ABC Everyday. I am so in love with the simplicity of this recipe and the big corny flavours. Best of all, it takes about 10 minutes to make! It’s soup season in Australia and ABC Everyday put together a fun collection of soup recipes here (two of which are mine).

I also have a few new (paywalled) recipes over at NYT Cooking which capture the big flavours of the new season. This curry udon soup is inspired by Japanese curry udon soup which you may normally make with store bought golden curry bricks (a pantry essential) but my recipe uses curry powder (preferably S&B brand!) and a simple roux to replicate this dish. You’ll be surprised how easy it is to re-create the flavours of Japanese curry - this soup is full flavored and very satisfying. Also new is this tomato, tofu and egg drop soup which recreates the sweet and tangy notes of my beloved Chinese dish tomato and egg, but in soup form, with the added protein of tofu. And for those who are experiencing warmer climes, try this new very green crunchy iceberg salad, with torn lettuce, asparagus, peas, feta and a spicy coriander (cilantro) yoghurt dressing. I love green salads and this one makes this classic dish just a bit more interesting.

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THE NEW ISSUE OF PEDDLER IS ALMOST HERE

After a year-plus break, I am thrilled to announce that issue 7 of Peddler is finally available for pre-order (we will ship late June-ish - to be confirmed). And this could be my favourite issue to date! It is themed HOME. I really wanted to explore our changing relationships with ‘home’ during our current uncertain times. Our cover belongs to the incredible Doris Hồ-Kane who is a New York based baker and archivist who does incredible work documenting the often forgotten or under-appreciated achievements of Asian American women in a project called 17.21 Women. She is also the founder of Bạn Bè, which is on the cusp of being New York City’s first Vietnamese bakery. Help Doris reach her goal here.

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THIS MONTH’S NEW RECIPE

Peanut doubanjiang edamame noodles

This month’s new recipe is a pantry meal that delivers big on flavour and comfort. It is designed around that bag of edamame beans which I always seem to have in my freezer. I wanted to create a edamame dish that is not a salad, that shows all the delicious sides of these frozen young soybeans. Edamame are buttery, with a hint of sweetness and nuttiness, so pairing them with creamy peanut butter brings out all these qualities even more. Doubanjiang is an ingredient that you may not have in your pantry and if this is the case, it is time to change that. Made of fermented soy beans, it is a spicy sauce with funky flavours that is just as versatile as gochujang. You can find it at your local Asian grocery store. Pixian doubanjiang has the best flavour - US readers can get it here, Australians here and elsewhere google ‘pixian doubanjiang’ to find local stockists. Lee Kum Kee also has one which they label chili bean sauce. If you can’t get it, just use chilli oil/crisp, Gochujang or any spicy condiment.

I use rice noodles but any noodles work here!

Serves 4

Peanut doubanjiang sauce
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter, stirred
2-3 tablespoons doubianjiang or chill oil/crisp
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 clove garlic, grated
1 tablespoon white sugar
½ - 3/4 cup hot water (just boiled or tap), cooled for 2-3 mins

300g thick rice noodles
1 packet (340g / 12 ounces) podded edamame beans
large handful coriander/cilantro, plus more to serve
handful of peanuts, roughly chopped

Place all of the sauce ingredients into a medium bowl, starting off with ½ cup of hot water, and whisk to combine well. It should be creamy but runny enough to coat noodles. If it is too thick, add more water, a little at a time, until it is the consistency of pouring cream. Transfer the sauce to a large bowl (large enough to toss the noodles).

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil, and add the edamame beans. Boil for 2-3 minutes until just tender and remove the beans with a slotted spoon or ladle and place in a colander to drain. Remove the edamame beans to a bowl and set aside.

Bring the same pot of salted water (top it up if you need to) to the boil again. Add the noodles and cook for 5-7 minutes until the noodles are al dente.

Meanwhile, when the edamame beans are cool enough to handle, pour half of them onto a chopping board and coarsely chop. Add the coriander/cilantro onto the same board and coarsely chop that as well. Combine the edamame and coriander on the board and chop together until it looks like a coarse paste (you could also use a food processor to do this but I like to minimize washing up!). Place the chopped edamame and coriander into the bowl with the remaining whole edamame pods and set aside.

When the noodles are ready, use tongs to transfer them to the bowl with the peanut sauce, dragging over a bit of the starchy cooking water that will be dripping off the noodles. Add the edamame beans and toss everything together until the noodles are well coated.

Top with more coriander and the peanuts. Eat immediately as it will get gluggy if you let it sit.

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P.S. I LOVE YOU

Snacks for Dinner. That is the title of my good friend Lukas Volger’s new book. It is also a slightly under-the-carpet category of dining that many of us enjoy privately, but often with a pang of guilt attached to it. Is cheese and bread an acceptable meal? Is dip with canned chickpeas and flatbread, or sheets of salty seaweed snacks stuffed with rice and avocado considered dinner? With Lukas’s book, the answer is YES, YES, YES. I’m so grateful to Lukas for validating our cheese board dinners and our dip-for-dinner scenarios. This book really makes dinner fun again (it’s vegetarian too!). Along with small bites, crackers and pickles, there are heartier snacks too like galettes, salads and soups. There’s even a good ole Australian Zucchini Slice, which is a homage to his Aussie husband Vincent’s family Christmas spread. You can find out more about Snacks for Dinner and purchase links here.

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