cook (& eventually gift): dan dan noodle kits

I'd been watching over and over this video of a Food 52 chef making an "Instant Dan Dan Noodle Mix" recipe and decided it would be my handmade holiday gift for either one or two of my foodie friends or relatives. Did. Not. Happen. Oh. Well. In the meantime, I'll just make all year Dan Dan Mian until I find the recipe to give next Christmas. I  had bought packets of Sichuan salt and Sichuan peppercorns from Milk Street and a couple jars of Fly by Jing chili crunch to include in the meal kit. I gave away the chili crunch jars as gifts to go with Momofuku noodle and bottles of tamari presents.

This recipe looked like it would be so delicious.

I had looked extensively during Black Friday sales for an electric spice grinder, specifically one with a removal cup that could be washed and not contain any residue of previously ground spices. But they're so expensive, and I've no room for additional appliances or gadgets in my galley kitchen. I've already thrown into one drawer my new potato ricer where I also house my mortar and pestle--Eureka! that'll be the tool I use to grind Chinese spices for this dish. I went to Nijiya and Ranch 99 grocery stores over the weekend to buy sesame paste, noodles, chicken bouillon, and Sichuan chili powder. And here are leftover bowls of that first iteration over Japanese ramen noodles. Yah I decided the night before returning to work, I would execute a 28-ingredient recipe.        

  

Aargh, I used black sesame paste. The taste is alright, but the color to me is awful and not appetizing. I then saw on the Lady and Pup blog that she also recommends Trader Joe's tahini. WTF?!? I threw away the black sesame paste (didn't taste all that much richer to me and it lends an awful color to the Dan Dan Mian), but I've still a small jar of light sesame paste from the Japanese market. I've found less authentic versions of Dan Dan Mian by Lan Lam or what America's Test Kitchen is calling Sichuan Noodles with Chili Sauce and Pork, which is A LOT LESS oily. But I'll also try Martha Stewart's Dan Dan Noodles Recipe. And I'll have by Christmas 2023 a delicious homemade gift to share with family and friends.