Brendan Pang - This Is a Book About Noodles

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I WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE WHADJUK NOONGAR PEOPLEPAST, PRESENT AND EMERGINGFOR THIS BOOK. THE IDEAS, RECIPES AND FOOD WITHIN WERE CREATED ON THEIR LANDS AND USING THE PRODUCE FROM IT.

THIS BOOK WAS WRITTEN IN LOVING MEMORY OF MY GRANDPRE, CLEMENT KON-YU. FROM THE TIME I WAS ABLE TO WALK, HE TAUGHT ME HOW TO EAT WELL, AND TO SHARE MY FOOD WITH THOSE AROUND ME. THIS BOOK WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT HIS LOVE AND SUPPORT.

One of my earliest memories, and certainly one of my fondest, is making fresh noodles with Grandmre and Grandpre. As for so many families, across the globe and in a multitude of cultures, noodles represent so much more than just food to me.

Growing up, we had noodles in every style I could imagine (and even some I couldnt!) for all sorts of occasions and purposes. I didnt just grow up with noodles, I grew up on noodles.

So, Ive always been fascinated with noodlestheir long and intriguing history, their deep and enduring cultural heritage and, in particular, their exceptional versatility.

Noodles dont belong to just one cuisine, or one type of dish, or one form or a method of application. There are extra-long noodles, short noodles, fat noodles, thin noodles, curly noodles, crunchy noodles, soft noodles, transparent noodles noodles of every color and noodles made from a myriad of ingredients. There are simple, plain noodle dishes and there are rich, complex ones. You can have noodles fried, boiled, crispy, in soup, in gravy they can take center stage or just be the humble sidekick. There are countless noodle dishes, and oodles more are created every day in restaurants, homes, street vendor carts, in any kind of kitchen around the world.

And thats the inspiration behind this book. Just like my first book about dumplings, its a simple declaration that everyone can cook, and cook well! These noodle recipes can easily be cooked at home and are best made fresh; however, if short on time, store-bought noodles will also do the trick!

One of the main reasons I love to cook is that it allows me to create, which lets me (and anyone!) explore and express that creativity. And to a chef, noodles may just be the perfect tool.

This book represents just a small selection of the many noodle dishes Ive had the pleasure of tasting, and also features my own interpretations of some more popular dishes. Its almost an impossible task trying to curate a recipe book with the hundreds of options available, and this certainly isnt a comprehensive list, but it offers a degustation of some of my favorites.

Thank you for reading this book! As you explore the world of noodlesyour world of noodlesI hope that I dont just provide a guide to your cooking, but also spark some creativity of your own. I look forward to one day tasting some of the marvelous creations that these recipes may inspire.

Why wheat? Well, wheat is the OG, baby! After millet was (literally) left in the dust, the Han Dynasty (AD 25220) recorded one of the earliest historical noodle recipes in China, which involved ripping up a breadlike cake and boiling these pieces in a hot broth, called mian pian.

After the millet-based and mian pian noodles, the increasing use of wheat in subsequent Chinese dynasties truly opened the art and tradition of noodle making, through the characteristic stretch that gluten brings, and along with it, noodles in all shapes, sizes and lengths. Today, wheat-based noodles are one of the most widely used and renownedthroughout China and all over the worldand for most people, our first noodle is a wheat-based one!

Not everyone has made noodles from scratch before, but its likely that most of us have played with a bit of dough! A little stint in the kitchen with any wheat-based bread or pastry is a great foundation to start from, especially if youve never worked with a dough before.

This chapter contains some traditional methods that will introduce you to working a wheat-based dough from scratch, using different techniques to create different shapes and sizes. Best of allno equipment is required!

The are some of the noodles that woke me to the way of wheat.

In later chapters, well also explore some unconventional and wonderful styles of noodles with non-run-of-the-mill ingredients, but wheat flour is definitely the cornerstone of noodle-making and is widely accessible and relatively inexpensive.

Mom Dumpling House (one of my favorite Chinese restaurants in Perth, Australia) introduced me to zha jiang mian (Beijing fried sauce noodles). This simple and very popular dish is considered to be one of the most traditional dishes in China but features just four main elementsnoodles (of course), pork, vegetables and a special bean-based sauce. One of the main characteristics of lao Beijing cai (Old Beijing food) is saltiness. The noodles in this dish provide the perfect instrument for the salty soybean-based sauce to cling to, with some fresh vegetables to lighten the flavor. Its also an easy one to make vegan with the omission of the ground pork. This a great starter recipe if you havent made noodles before, especially as hand-cut noodles dont have to, and shouldnt, be perfectbut theyll still be delicious. Simple, fresh, tasty.

Marinated Pork

6 oz (170 g) fatty ground pork

Pinch of salt

1 tsp cornstarch

1 tsp vegetable oil

Pinch of freshly ground white pepper

Noodle Sauce

1 tbsp (15 ml) vegetable oil

1 tbsp (5 g) minced fresh ginger

1 tbsp (10 g) minced garlic

6 fresh shiitake mushrooms, finely chopped

2 tbsp (30 ml) sweet bean sauce (see notes)

3 tbsp (45 ml) ground bean sauce (see notes)

1 tbsp (15 ml) dark soy sauce

1 cup + 2 tsp (250 ml) water

1 lb (450 g) ribbon-cut