Unicorn (Unicorn@Indenial.com)
Mon, 08 Mar 1999 06:06:37 -0500
Here's another one compliments of Aimee Wilkes. I think I have run
this food funny before, but what the heck, it's still kind of cute.
A man walks into a bar and sits down at a table. while waiting for a
waitress, he helps himself to a bowl of peanuts. While munching them,
he hears, barely audibly, a voice say, "nice hair!" he looks around,
but sees no one. He shrugs and goes back to his peanuts. Then he
hears, very quietly, "great suit!" again he looks around, but no one
is close to him. He decides he must be imagining it, but then he
hears, faintly, "nice tie!" When the waitress arrives, he asks,
somewhat embarrassed, Excuse me, but do other patrons ever hear little
voices in here?" She smiles and says, "oh, those are the peanuts.
They're complimentary."
There doesn't seem to be a reliable explanation as to where the name
of this dish comes from. Best guesses suggest that the ants refer to
the ground meat, and the tree must be the noodles. It still seems a
little far-fetched, but let's not quibble over the etymology. It's a
classic Szechwanese dish, and it tastes great no matter what it's
called.
Ants Climb a Tree
8 oz (250 g) dried cellophane noodles*
Approx. 4 cups (1 L) boiling water
1 lb (500 g) ground beef or pork
3 Tbs (45 ml) plus 1/4 cup (60 ml) soy sauce
1 Tbs (15 ml) sesame oil
6 scallions (spring onions), green and white
parts, sliced as thinly as possible
4 Tbs (60 ml) peanut oil
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 Tbs (15 ml) finely chopped fresh ginger root
1 Tbs (15 ml) hot red pepper flakes (or to taste)
2/3 cups (150 ml) water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
* Available in Asian specialty shops
Place the cellophane noodles in a large bowl, pour the boiling water
over them and allow to soak for 20 minutes, then drain and set aside.
Combine the ground meat, 3 tablespoons soy sauce, the sesame oil, and
half the chopped scallions in a bowl, toss to combine, and allow to
marinate for 5 minutes. Heat the peanut oil in a wok or heavy skillet
until the surface shimmers and a few wisps of smoke appear. Add the
garlic, ginger, hot pepper flakes, and stir fry for 30 seconds. Add
the meat mixture and stir fry for about 1 minute, breaking up the meat
as it browns. Add the additional 1/4 cup (60 ml) soy sauce and stir
fry an additional 30 seconds. Add the noodles, stirring them and
breaking them up a little with your spatula or spoon, cooking for
about 1 minute. Add the water and the remaining scallions, and season
with salt (if necessary) and pepper. Cover the pan and simmer over
moderate heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Serves 4 to 6.
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.0b3 on Mon Mar 08 1999 - 09:00:02 EST