Chinese Noodle Recipe

Photograph by Tony Cenicola/The New York Times. Food stylist: Jill Santopietro

1 pound Chinese egg noodles (1/8,-inch-thick), frozen or (preferably) fresh, available in Asian markets
2 tablespoons sesame oil, plus a splash
3½ tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons Chinese rice vinegar
2 tablespoons Chinese sesame paste
1 tablespoon smooth peanut butter
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons chili-garlic sauce, or to taste

finely sliced green onions

black sesame seeds

chopped roasted peanuts.

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add noodles and cook until barely tender, about 5 minutes; they should retain a hint of chewiness. Drain, rinse with cold water, drain again and toss with a splash of sesame oil.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons sesame oil, the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame paste, peanut butter, sugar, ginger, garlic and chili-garlic paste.
3. Pour the sauce over the noodles and toss. Transfer to a serving bowl, and garnish with green onions, black sesame seeds, and peanuts. Serves 4. Adapted from Martin Yan, Marian Burros, and memory and kid preferences.

I added more peanut butter instead of searching for the Chinese paste. Also, this recipe works pretty well if you just add a little of all of it. The measurements do not need to be exact. It's a great recipe for kids to make and I run the whole thing (sans noodles) through the food processor and toss at the end. Enjoy! Also, there was only a dab of the hot chili sauce, too much is too spicy for sensitive palates. This recipe will make enough for about 4...less if you love the noodles and have a grumbly belly.