I don't quite remember where this cookbook came from, but I'm fairly certain Shannon gave it to me probably 15 years ago. Okay, so the copyright is 1996, so it's more like a decade ago. It's called Quick & Easy Recipes Pasta and Noodles Food Writers' Favorites. I was surprised to see that includes a recipe for kugel that is attributed to the wife of my former boss and favorite editor at The Morning Call.
It's been a year, maybe two, since I've made peanut butter noodles. The name sounds gross, so I often call it "Thai noodles." We'll be serving it tonight with a side salad, and maybe some fresh mango.
The recipe came from Christine Randall, who was then asst. features editor at The Post and Courier of Charleston, S.C. She writes: "When I first came across this recipe, it sounded a bit offbeat, but I figured I'd try it once because it was so easy-- and I loved it."
Spicy Peanut Butter Noodles
Makes 2 to 3 servings
1/3 cup peanut butter, smooth or crunchy
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (can be adjusted to taste)
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
8 to 12 ounces spaghetti or linguine
1. In a bowl, combine peanut butter, oil, soy sauce, cayenne, sugar, vinegar and garlic. With a rubber spatula, work mixture together until creamy and smooth. If time permits, refrigerate, covered, for four hours. (If time does not allow, don't worry, it will still be good.) Bring to room temperature before using.
2. Prepare spaghetti. Drain. Combine hot pasta and peanut butter sauce. Mix gently. Serve immediately.
OMG this sounds like a recipe from the 70s that a friend made. I think that the book was called Recipes for the Planet. It had the weirdest food in. My friend Wendy made cauliflower spaghetti speghetti with peanut butter sauce. Just add cauliflower to what you made. It was single handed the grosses thing I ever ate.
ReplyDeleteg
This isn't gross, but I can only tolerate it about once every 1 to 2 years. Certainly fits in the something different category.
ReplyDeleteThe name of that dang book kept me awake. Finally remembered it, and looked it up online, and there it was! Recipes for a Small Planet by Ellen Buchman Ewald. First published in 1973, the beginning of the back-to-nature movement.
ReplyDeleteFrom the natural living blog by Colette Cope http://tinyurl.com/bcukqh in a discussion of cookbooks you'd love. "I don't want to forget an old and somewhat dated cookbook called "Recipes for a Small Planet" by Ellen Buchman Ewald. This cookbook is a companion to "Diet for a Small Planet" by Frances Moore Lappe. Apparently Frances Moore Lappe was inspired by Ellen Buchman Ewald enough to write "Diet for a Small Planet". Ellen followed with her cookbook. I say dated because some of the ideas on protein and fats in the cookbook are scientifically dated with what we know about nutrition today. However, the social arguments remain valid and almost more relevant to today's agribusiness. I also say dated because this book seems very basic compared to how gourmet most of today's vegetarian cookbooks have become. However, I have to pay homage to this classic that changed so many people's lives before vegetarianism was trendy or even acceptable, and I am very proud to have copies of the original editions of both on my bookshelf. Frances Moore Lappe is a powerhouse and one of my heroes. :)" http://www.smallplanet.org/