The Librarian.
Almost everyone who comes to our table knows that I photograph many of the meals I make… unless, of course, I have already published it on Cocoa & Lavender.
I have built up a fairly large library of photos ready to be posted… all they need is a story and the written recipe. Sounds pretty easy, right? Except for when I forgot to write down what I did when I made the recipe. This necessitates recreating the recipe, with the hope that it will be as successful.
Not all the recipes I post are my own. Today’s, for Soba Noodles with Pickled Shiitake Mushrooms and Asian Pears, dates back several years to when I reviewed the cookbook: East Bay Cooks. When I review a cookbook, I cook several recipes within to make sure they are well-written, clear, and actually work.
This cookbook was quite good; I posted its Lamb Larb recipe in September of 2019. At the time, I also made and photographed today’s recipe, but never shared it. It is wonderful, light, and very creative. The recipe is by Chef Louis Kao from the restaurant Noodle Theory in Rockridge, California. If you like fusion flavors with an Asian emphasis, give this one a try.
~ David
Soba Noodles with Pickled Shiitake Mushrooms and Asian Pears
Ingredients
- Pickled Shiitakes
- 2 1/2 oz dried shiitake mushrooms (about 18 small)
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup sherry vinegar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Ginger-Soy Vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 2 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated ginger
- 1/4 cup avocado oil or grapeseed oil
- Noodle Salad
- 6 to 8 ounces uncooked dried soba noodles
- 1 large Asian pear, peeled, cored, and cut into thin slices
- 3 ounces chèvre, crumbled
- 1/3 cup toasted cashews, coarsely chopped
- pinch of kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted, for garnish
- 2 teaspoons thinly sliced scallions, for garnish
Instructions
- Pickled Shiitakes: In a large bowl, combine shiitakes and 2 1/2 cups hot water. Place a plate on top of the mushrooms to keep them submerged, and soak for 1 hour.
- Remove rehydrated mushrooms. Pour off and reserve soaking liquid, discarding the bottom 1/4 cup that contains the grit. Remove mushroom stems and discard. Using a knife or kitchen shears, thinly slice the caps.
- Place mushrooms in a saucepan with reserved soaking liquid. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool to room temperature, then transfer to a covered container and refrigerate. (Pickled shiitakes can be stored in a covered container for 2 weeks. Use any leftovers to perk up vegetable or tofu salads or stir-fries.)
- Ginger-Soy Vinaigrette: Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl or mason jar. Mix or shake until sugar is dissolved. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Noodle Salad: In a large saucepan of boiling salted water, cook soba noodles for 6 minutes or according to package directions, until just tender. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold running water to stop the cooking process and remove excess starch.
- To Serve: Transfer noodles to a large bowl. Add pear, chèvre, cashews, as many pickled shiitakes as desired, salt, and 3 tablespoons vinaigrette. Mix gently to combine. Taste and add more vinaigrette, if necessary. Divide among serving bowls or plates and garnish with sesame seeds and scallions
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Mad Dog
April 29, 2023 at 6:36 amHa ha – it’s very easy to forget what you did while cooking and taking the pictures. I try to make a concerted effort to write things down as I’m going through the process, but it’s very easy to get distracted.
Yet another beautiful looking dish!
Cocoa & Lavender
April 29, 2023 at 8:15 amI tried writing everything down, but then I lose my list! Sometimes I find things just buy sifting through old photos… Glad you like the noodle dish!
Frank | Memorie di Angelina
April 29, 2023 at 7:05 amI love soba noodles! Haven’t had them for a while, though. This looks like a lovely way to get reacquainted.
A propos of soba noodles, I wonder how they’d work as a substitute for bigoli scuri. Any thoughts?
Cocoa & Lavender
April 29, 2023 at 8:15 amThat is a really good question, Frank. I know that some of the details are made out of buckwheat in Italy, but there seems to be some thing very different about the texture with Asian noodles. Why don’t we give it a try and see what happens?
Mimi Rippee
April 29, 2023 at 7:09 amWow! I didn’t think one could pickle mushrooms, but dried mushrooms – of course! Fabulous. There’s nothing I don’t absolutely love about this salad. I will check out the cookbook.
Cocoa & Lavender
April 29, 2023 at 8:16 amWhen I found dried shiitake mushrooms, I felt like I had discovered gold! They are such a great thing to have in your pantry. Also, I think they taste more like actual shiitake mushrooms than most dried mushrooms taste like their counterparts. If you’ve ever had fresh porcini mushrooms, you know well that the dried ones taste nothing like that.
Eha
April 29, 2023 at 4:27 pmWhat an absolutely fantastic and very new recipe to try! Can’t wait to the kitchen!! Really want to try your pickled mushrooms as I have lived on the Northern European ones since I gave up mother’s milk – methinks ours are more acidic and they surely keep from one year’s end to the next!Could not live without soba noodles but usually wriggle my nose at nashi pears – shall try! Thanks for culinary excitement plus . . .
Cocoa & Lavender
May 3, 2023 at 3:15 pmMy mother made pickled mushrooms but in a European style, as well. These are so lovely and different, and I’ve used them for several recipes since.
Gerlinde de Broekert
April 29, 2023 at 6:37 pmWhat a great recipe. I hear when you find the photos but no recipe. I am still looking for a recipe that I made a year ago.
Cocoa & Lavender
May 3, 2023 at 3:14 pmOr, worse yet, you created the recipe, photographed it, and then (years later) have to try to recreate it!
Jeff the Chef
May 1, 2023 at 7:19 amI always love cookbook recommendations, so thanks! I’ve never made soba noodles before. But man, do I ever love mushrooms and pears – what a cool combination!
Cocoa & Lavender
May 3, 2023 at 3:13 pmIt was a really unusual combination for me, but it works beautifully. And I think you will love soba noodles.
Velva
May 3, 2023 at 8:31 amI understand and relate to taking photos of meals, and sometimes forgetting the recipe! This recipe is screams healthy and delicious. I think soba noodles are under appreciated.
Velva
Cocoa & Lavender
May 3, 2023 at 3:12 pmIt is a really healthy recipe —and so flavorful!
Christina Conte
May 6, 2023 at 10:19 pmOMG, I do the same thing! I have about 25 recipes shot and just needing the pictures edited and post written up! I am sure there are a few I will end up remaking because I will have lost the paper I wrote the recipe on, or something similar. Ugh. These noodles look fabulous! I’d love to try this recipe!
Cocoa & Lavender
May 9, 2023 at 2:48 pmAnd then sometimes you need to reshoot the photo when you change the ingredients. It’s always something!
Raymund
May 9, 2023 at 4:28 pmI love your blog post and I totally relate to forgetting to write down what you did when making a recipe! It’s great that you have a library of photos ready to be posted, but it can be frustrating when you can’t remember the details. BTW that Soba Noodles with Pickled Shiitake Mushrooms and Asian Pears recipe sounds amazing
Cocoa & Lavender
May 27, 2023 at 4:22 amI think all of us bloggers suffer from this! Glad to know I have good company. 🙂
Marcelle
May 9, 2023 at 10:00 pmI love noodles salads, David. Soba noodles are so hard to find in my area, I have to order them online. This recipe is must-try, so much flavor with the pickled mushrooms. Yum! I’m the same way, I have so many unpublished drafts on my blog… and for some of them I didn’t write complete instructions or I just uploaded the pictures and saved nothing else 🤦♀️One day, I’ll get them all out there to finally share lol This dish really looks delicious, thanks so much for the recipe!!
Cocoa & Lavender
May 27, 2023 at 4:24 amWe are so lucky to have great online sources these days. I think of my mother when she got her copy of The Gourmet Magazine — so many ingredients she couldn’t find and there was NO internet!
2pots2cook
May 12, 2023 at 4:56 amBeautiful, budget friendly week dinner. We pickle mushrooms every year so this should not be a problem; besides, all sorts of pasta are in the pantry…… even soba and somen …
Cocoa & Lavender
May 27, 2023 at 4:25 amIt is a good pantry meal, isn’t it. It is also great with regular pears.
Valentina
May 16, 2023 at 12:50 pmI love the idea of pickling the shiitakes. I’ve never done that (or thought of it). And goat cheese in an Asian-style dish is so intriguing. I’m so in on this one. Can’t wait to try it.
P.S. I can’t seem to remember anything I don’t write down, including, but not limited to recipes. Haha!
Cocoa & Lavender
May 27, 2023 at 4:26 amHaha — the older I get, the more lists I make!
I think you will love this salad, Valentina!