Skip to main content

Shimeji Mushroom Noodles for Foodie Reads


As January continues, I am forging ahead with my renewed Foodie Reads Challenge. My copy of The Vegetarian by Han Kang* was next on my nightstand. So, over the course of a few evenings, I read it.


On the Page...
While the book was provocative, I can't say that I really enjoyed it. Honestly, I almost put it down.

Marital rape, a father force-feeding a grown daughter, attempted suicide...and that was only in the first part of the novella. This book is comprised of three parts. Part one is told from the standpoint of the husband of the vegetarian; part two is narrated by the brother-in-law of the vegetarian; and part three follows the sister of the vegetarian. And all of them were uncomfortable.

I will not say too much more - just that the people in her life are baffled by Yeong-hye's abrupt decision to give up meat. This was one passage from a dinner party to which Mr. Cheong brought Yeong-hye.

"People mainly used to turn vegetarian because they subscribed to a certain ideology...I've been to various doctors myself, to have some tests done and see if there was anything in particular I ought to be avoiding, but everywhere I went I was told something different...in any case, the idea of a special diet always made me feel uncomfortable. It seems to me that one shouldn't be too narrow-minded when it comes to food" (p.31).

I had thought Yeong-hye might have some cogent arguments for vegetarianism, but, she didn't; she attributed her drastic lifestyle change to a dream. It was more of a nightmare.


On the Plate...
Yeong-hye questioned the need to eat and, even, the need to live. So, food wasn't high on her list of priorities. Still, I was inspired into the kitchen to make stir-fried noodles with mushrooms. Her husband was lamenting the menu shift at his home. "Her fragrant, caramelized deep-fried belly pork was achieved by marinating the meat in minced ginger.... Her signature dish had been wafer-thin slices of beef seasoned with black pepper and sesame oil" (p.22).  "On weekends, she prepared seasoned vegetable side dishes for us to eat during the week, and even made stir-fried glass noodles with mushrooms, instead of the usual meat" (p.25).


Ingredients
  • 1 bunch organic green onions, trimmed, and thinly sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
  • 2 t sesame oil, divided
  • 1 t olive oil
  • 2 C mushrooms (I had shimeji mushrooms)
  • 2 C spinach leaves, rinsed at least three times
  • 1 C green peas
  • 1 C stock
  • 1 package rice noodles
  • 1 T fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 2 T fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 t gluten-free soy sauce

Procedure
Cook noodles according to package directions. Set aside.

In a large, flat-bottom pan, heat 1 t sesame oil and 1 t olive oil.  Cook the green onion and garlic until softened. Add in the mushrooms. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Pour in the stock and bring to a simmer. Add in the spinach and peas. Cook until the green of the peas brightens and the spinach just wilts.


Add in the drained, cooked noodles. Toss with 1 t sesame oil. Fold in fresh herbs and season with soy sauce. Serve warm.

*This blog currently has a partnership with Amazon.com in their affiliate program, which gives me a small percentage of sales if you buy a product through a link on my blog. It doesn't cost you anything more. If you are uncomfortable with this, feel free to go directly to Amazon.com and search for the item of your choice.



Here's what everyone else read in January 2017: here.

Comments

  1. Doesn't sound like a book I would enjoy either. I'm looking for something lighthearted lately to take me away from all the negativity being bandied about.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am in the middle of Love in a Dish by MFK Fisher. Really enjoying that one!

      Delete
  2. Don't think I would like that one either, but at least you got inspired to make a good meal. Sounds like the things she used to fix were also inspiring.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Your noodles look amazing. I've avoided reading The Vegetarian because I'm pretty sure it would annoy me. I can't handle people getting all bent out of shape because people don't eat meat.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Connecticut Lobster Rolls, Canned Lobster Bisque, and a 2019 Henry Fessy 'Maître Bonhome' Viré-Clessé #Winophiles

This month the French Winophiles group is looking at affordable wines from Burgundy.  Host Cindy of Grape Experiences wrote: "Burgundy, or Bourgogne, is known for its wines of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir... as well as Aligote, Gamay, Sauvignon, César, Pinot Beurot, Sacy, Melon in lesser quantities. Many of the well-known wines are quite expensive, but there are plenty of values to be found." Read her invitation here. And there won't be a Twitter chat for this event, so you will have to dive into the articles themselves to read about our pairings and findings. Here's the line-up... Wendy Klik from A Day in the Life on the Farm enjoys Domaine Chevillon Chezeaux Bourgogne Hautes Cotes de Nuits, 2018 Paired with a Maple Pecan Chicken . Camilla Mann from Culinary Adventures with Camilla shares her love of Connecticut Lobster Rolls, Canned Lobster Bisque, and a 2019 Henry Fessy 'Maître Bonhome' Viré-Clessé. Jeff Burrows of FoodWineClick! explains why we should Look t

Meyer Lemon Custard-Filled Matcha Turtles #BreadBakers

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all our of lovely bread by following our  Pinterest board  right here. Links are also updated after each event on the  Bread Bakers home page .  We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient. This month Stacy of Food Lust People Love  is hosting and she wrote: "Your bread can be large, as in one big animal, or small - animal-shaped rolls. Use your imagination! Points for flavor and shape!" If you are a food blogger and would like to join us, just send an email with your blog URL to Stacy at foodlustpeoplelove@gmail.com. Here's the animal-shaped bread basket from the #BreadBakers... Beef and Sweet Onion Dim Sum Pandas from Karen's Kitchen Stories Bird Bread Rolls from Ambrosia Easter Bunny Buns from Cook with Renu Ham and Cheese Elephant Rolls from Food Lust People Love Hedgehog Bread from Making Mir

Quick Pickled Red Onions and Radishes

If you've been reading my blog for even a short amount of time, you probably know how much I love to pickle things. I was just telling a friend you can pickle - with vinegar - or you can ferment - with salt - for similar delicious effect. The latter has digestive benefits and I love to do that, but when I need that pop of sour flavor quickly, I whip up quick pickles that are ready in as little as a day or two. I've Pickled Blueberries , Pickled Asparagus , Pickled Cranberries , Pickled Pumpkin , and even Pickled Chard Stems ! This I did last night for an upcoming recipe challenge that requires I include radishes. Ummmm...of course I'm pickling them! Ingredients  makes 1 quart jar radishes, trimmed and sliced organic red onions, peeled and thinly sliced (I used a mandolin slicer) 3/4 C vinegar (I used white distilled vinegar) 3/4 C water 3 T organic granulated sugar 1 T salt (I used some grey sea salt) 6 to 8 grinds of black pepper Proce