Otsu

I've been having a small-scale obsession with finding a perfect recipe for soba.  Soba, Japanese buckwheat noodles, are smooth and hearty--the perfect comfort food.  But poorly made soba is...well, horribly bad.  I knew I was leaving my own area of expertise when I kept trying to make soba and failing miserably. So I turned to 101 Cookbooks, a choice I am oh-so-glad to have made, because this recipe is perfection.

I made a few changes to the original recipe.  Mostly, I didn't include the tofu and used more widely available cousins of the ingredients listed. Here is the original recipe, and my version is below.

Grate the zest of one lemon and a 1-inch cube of fresh ginger (peeled) into a large bowl (the same one you'll use to serve the noodles).*  Add 1 Tbs honey, 3/4 tsp cayenne, and 3/4 tsp salt; stir to combine.  Slowly add in 1 Tbs of fresh lemon juice (use that lemon you just zested), 1/4 cup rice vinegar and 1/3 cup of soy sauce. Stirring quickly, drizzle in 2 Tbs of olive oil and 2 Tbs of sesame oil.

Meanwhile, cook 12 oz of soba according to the directions, or until noodles are just tender. Drain and rinse under cold water.  Combine the cooked soba with the dressing, 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro, and 3 sliced green onions.  Toss to combine and serve at room temperature or cold.

*You can also assemble the dressing in a food processor rather than by hand.

**Photo courtesy of S. Hubball