Requested on the chat line Wednesday night:

MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06

Title: Xxcarol's Homemade Udon
Categories: Xxcarol, Japan, Pasta
Yield: 8 Servings

4 c All purpose flour, or wheat
1 ts Salt
1 ea Egg yolk

So simple! It has one more ingredient, cold water. These are the
home noodles of Japan and much of the orient.

Sift the flour and salt together into a large bowl then add the yolk
and enough water to make a stiff paste. Kneed this completely then
let sit for about 30 mins or so. Sprinkle a board and rolling pin
with more flour then roll it out thin as possible. Roll up the
flattened noodle and cut to long thin strips (about 8 to an inch). To
cook, just boil in salted water or in Japanese fish broth (called
Dashi).

To kick this up a tad, you can add some powdered wasabi to the flour,
about a teaspoon. This won't make them 'hot' or bitter, but add just
a tang.

From the Japan kitchen of: xxcarol, Sasebo Japan, 25May2003

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MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06

Title: Xxcarol's Special Udon Nabe
Categories: Xxcarol, Japan, Soups
Yield: 6 Servings

8 c Dashi or chicken stock
6 tb Soy sauce (shoyu)
1/4 c Sake
2 tb Mirin
12 oz Fresh udon noodles
6 ea Clams, small, cleaned
1 ea Chicken breast, deboned/cut
1/3 lb Scallops (about 8)
3 oz Kamaboko (fish paste/cake)
6 ea Scallions(green onions)
4 ea Large mushrooms, halved
6 ea Medium shrimp

Ok, I'm in Japan! I havent had a chance as of this typing to get the
phone lines installed just yet, but here's a goodie that's easier to
make than the longish ingredient list looks like.

I live right next to 'Tonoo Market Street' which is just like it
sounds. A street lined with itty bitty fresh produce stores where 1/2
the produce is along the sidewalk. Kinda like an open-air market.
Very neato!

Along that street where I walk my way home, are all these fixings.
Yoki, my local 'mama-san' who speaks no english (that's ok, I speak
no usable Japanese yet), has taken on this local 'gaijin' (foreigner)
and is slowly with pantomine, showing me something new at her stall
each day. I think most of my Japanese to date, is cooking/food
related (grin, suprised? Naww).

Nabe BTW, means a thickish soup/stew. Udon is a thick noodle, slightly
fatter than linguini and softer with a touch of rubbery consistancy.
It's also called 'alimentary paste' when labeled in english. Normally
sold fresh or vacumn packed. Occasionally dried.

Kamaboko, or 'fishcake' is a product made from mildish fish scraped
from the bones (paste-like) and formed to a roll (when formed to a
roll, it's Kamaboko and may have added colors and seasonings).

Cook the udon according to directions, and in second pot, simmer
stock and add the meats (shrimp only in last 5 minutes). Add veggies
in the last 5 mins or so with the shrimps.

Ruth, Hawaii variation. That scraped 'bonefish' made to a pale tan
paste? Form it into 'fishballs' like you would make small meatballs.
Tuck into soup in last 5 mins.

Total cooking time once both are boiling: 5 mins for Udon, 10 for
'other pot'. Strain udon from water and add to stock pot then serve.

Goes lovely with toasted pretzel bits (try tossing them with a little
butter and hot chili-pepper then nuking for 60 secs) and also with a
sliced fresh peach (fill center with a drizzle of honey and cinnimon,
nuke 1 minute then add a dollup of whipped cream or try japanese
style, with 'miricle whip' salad dressing).

From the kitchen of: xxcarol in japan

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