Sichuan-style sesame noodles are very popular in Paris, but they’re not exactly French. So why am I featuring them in today’s post? Because sesame noodles are among the dishes mentioned in my forthcoming novel, The Rites of Man. It’s not a foodie novel but the characters do a lot of good eating — and I’m cooking up a special offer for readers of The Everyday French Chef. It’s a recipe booklet for any readers of this site who also read my book!
Nouilles sésame a la sichuanaise / Sesame noodles, Sichuan style
The Rites of Man is being published on Dec. 3 by Ten 16 Press, a small independent publisher in the States. It’s a story of seduction and betrayal, both romantic and literary. I’ll tell you more in a moment. But first, the noodles.
Sichuan-style sesame noodles deliver a burst of pungent flavor and are a breeze to prepare, providing you’ve got the right ingredients on hand. These include sesame oil, black vinegar, chili oil (aka chili crisp), Sichuan peppercorn and the noodles — Asian wheat, rice or egg noodles (spaghetti can also be used). Garlic, scallions and peanuts utz the flavor up a notch, and you can make the noodles as spicy as you like.
This dish is generally served at room temperature, either on its own or as a side for other Asian dishes. At my favorite Sichuan joint in Paris, Deux Fois Plus de Piment, sesame noodles are served as a starter for dishes like spicy chicken with peanuts or a fantastic spicy beef soup. At home, you can serve the noodles on a bed of shredded cucumber, which makes for a light but satisfying lunch. A glass of chilled rosé would go nicely.
And now, the novel. The Rites of Man tells the story of Sherry McManus and Thomas G. Paine, who meet at a Fourth of July party on Long Island and commence a relationship that turns into something much more than either of them could have imagined. This is back in 1996. Sherry, 44, is a New York photographer of musicians in concert who’s been around the block in love. Tom, 43, is a formerly best-selling author who’s been in a dry spell for seven years. Shortly after they meet, Tom starts writing again.
In the course of the novel, Sherry, Tom and the other characters eat out at places from Montauk to Manhattan, from Washington, D.C., to the Florida coast to, yes, Paris. And they also do some home cooking. For example, Tom’s estranged wife, Jessica, a columnist for The Village Voice, is very much a foodie, serving boeuf bourguignon to guests while working on a special edition and making steamer clams à la française while out at Tom’s place on the island.
The booklet will contain 20 recipes from moments like these, as well as background notes on the writing of The Rites of Man and why I chose to include these particular dishes and settings.
I hear from early readers that my novel is a page-turner. It is already available for pre-order in the States — click here to see where — and will be available worldwide as of Dec. 3. If you’d like to receive the booklet, simply send me a photo of yourself holding the The Rites of Man. I’ll email the booklet over to you at once!
Happy cooking.
