I was drawn to this recipe because it seemed simple and quick to pull together…most of the ingredients are easy to find, though I had to do a search for udon noodles (which I found at Central Market and Whole Foods). Udon is a thick Japanese noodle…the ones I found were made from wheat, and were shaped a bit like fettucine. I tasted them straight from the pot, and was a little nervous, because they had an odd, sort of bitter aftertaste. But once we mixed the pasta in with the rest of the ingredients, that flavor seemed to disappear. I loved the texture of the udon…they tasted like fresh pasta as opposed to dry. If you can’t find udon noodles, I think any other long pasta would work just as well.

Today I walked down to Whole Foods to check out the farmer’s market that will be held there each Wednesday. I was so disappointed…there were very few booths…only one for produce, one for mushrooms (gorgeous ones, though), one for honey, one for goat cheese, and then a few prepared foods and soaps. I had hoped to stock up on local produce each Wednesday, but it looks like the Saturday market is still a better deal.

On the reading front, I gave Julie and Julia 68 pages before I finally gave up on it. I agree with Connie’s comment on my last post…the idea of trying to prepare all of the recipes from one classic cookbook is a great one; but I just couldn’t jive with Julie Powell’s writing style. It seemed too wordy, as if the book could have been half the length without all the extra metaphors and thesaurus-like descriptors. On the upside, I found The Best Food Writing of 2006 at BookPeople, and I’m loving it. I try to buy this little collection every year, because the essays have already been culled through and chosen for their readability and content.

Tonight we’re going to Rob and Shara’s for movie night, which means I’m going to miss the first part of the Project Runway finale. I’m okay with it, though, because they’ll re-air it at midnight or 1:00 a.m., and I took a nap today in preparation for that. 🙂 Tonight won’t be the actual runway shows, anyway…just the preparation for them and all the drama that goes with that. I finished up Season 2, which was lots of fun to watch, so now I’m officially all caught up.

So, here’s the udon.

Udon Noodles with Sesame and Tofu

• 8 ounces udon noodles
• 2 tablespoons seasoned rice or cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 1/2 cups diced cucumber
• 1 cup shredded carrot
• 1/4 cup (1-inch) diagonally sliced green onions
• 2 teaspoons sesame seeds, toasted
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 (8-ounce) package baked Asian-style tofu (such as White Wave), drained and diced

Cook noodles according to package directions.

While noodles cook, combine vinegar and next 5 ingredients in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Drain noodles. Combine cooked noodles, cucumber, and remaining 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle with vinegar mixture; toss well.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: Cooking Light magazine.