That’s right, it’s “Eat your Noodles Day,” so let’s look deeper at this interesting group of food items and share a favorite recipe. The oldest bowl of noodles, discovered in China, dates back to over 4000 years ago. Over 40% of the flour China produces is used to make noodles, and noodles today are a staple in many cultures.

Noodles are made from unleavened dough, which is stretched and then stretched again and again to the desired size. I recommend watching this video if you have not been to China or seen it before. It’s pretty amazing to see how noodles are made!

Here is a video on how to make easy noodles, without all the stretching.

Noodles are normally cooked in boiling water, but sometimes they are pan-fried or deep-fried. The noodle is usually accompanied with a sauce or is added to a bowl of soup. There are many types of noodles out there today, from the macaroni noodle (which Thomas Jefferson brought to the United States in 1789, after a trip to France) to the famous ramen noodles. One of my favorite noodle dishes is a Filipino dish called “pancit,” which is a rice noodle dish. Below is a recipe I call “Santos Pancit.”

Santos Pancit Recipe

Yields 4 servings.

Ingredients

• 1 (8 ounces) package rice noodles
• 1 lb chicken breast, cubed
• 1⁄2 cup teriyaki sauce
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups cabbage, chopped
• 1 cup carrot, sliced
• 1 cup onion, sliced
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1⁄8 cup cooking oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1⁄4 cup soy sauce
• 1⁄2 cup green onion (optional)

Method

1. In a plastic zippered storage bag or glass bowl, marinade cubed chicken with teriyaki sauce and 2 cloves of minced garlic overnight in the refrigerator.
2. The next day, in a large bowl, soak rice noodles in warm water for 15-30 minutes; drain completely.
3. Drain the marinade off the chicken and discard the marinade.
4. In a skillet or a wok, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat and brown the chicken, drain and set aside.
5. In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat and sauté 3 cloves of minced garlic and accent for 30 seconds.
6. Add carrots, and then stir-fry for about 5 minutes.
7. Add cabbage, onions, and 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, then stir-fry until the vegetables are tender.
8. Add chicken to vegetables and continue stir-frying.
9. Now add the noodles to the pot with 1/8 cup of oil and 1/4 cup of soy sauce; mix very well.
10. Keep cooking and mixing until the noodles are tender and cooked thoroughly.
11. Serve with the green onions.

Questions?

If you have any questions about this article or flight crew culinary training, contact me at jdetloff@airculinaire.com. For questions about in-flight catering, contact weborders@airculinaire.com.