The heat reached 96 degrees in Portland yesterday. I wasn’t built for this sort of thing, I tell you. I knew I’d have to prepare something cold for lunch, but I also had a bit of a salty tooth, as I usually do. Cold food usually covers the creamy and sweet parts of the flavor spectrum; what about salty, spicy, and pungent?

Presenting: cold sesame noodles with fried anchovies.

We will need the following ingredients, which are discussed in more detail after the list:

• Soba noodles
• Toasted sesame oil
• Sesame seeds
• Soy sauce
• Rice vinegar
• Fish sauce
• Dried anchovies

You’ll notice I’m skipping measurements; they make no more sense here than in, say, salad dressing. Start with what looks right, don’t add too much of anything, and since there’s no cooking involved in the sauce, you can always correct as you mix. The liquids in my list are probably sorted from highest to lowest amount, but please, follow your own stomach.

If you don’t stock any of these items, it’s time to make a trip to your local Asian market. These are all rewarding ingredients with a long shelf life. Speaking of which: store your sesame oil in the fridge. Precious oils (like hazelnut oil or truffle oil) will lose their punch quickly if left in the pantry.

You can buy toasted sesame seeds, but toasting your own isn’t rocket surgery: nonstick pan over medium heat for a minute or two until they’re fragrant and hazelnut-colored (but not dark brown.)

The rice vinegar and the fish sauce are optional, but you’ll be breaking my heart if you skip them.

As for those anchovies… Fine, they’re not totally crucial, and most places won’t top their noodles with them. Most places don’t serve the best cold sesame noodles ever. If you’re vegetarian, I get it. If you eat fish otherwise, it’s time to acquaint yourself with one of the world’s greatest under-appreciated flavors. 

In this case, we’ll be using Thai dried anchovies. Your Asian market will definitely have them; look for bags near all the other dried foods. There are myriad brands; here’s how to spot the good ones: the fish should be about 3” in length, whole, and shiny. Avoid broken fish and anything with “dust”, either at the bottom of the bag or on the fishies themselves. Think of it as cereal - you want solid pieces.

Start cooking by frying the anchovies, brave soul: in a small pan, heat canola or peanut oil over medium-high heat; drop in the fish, then spoon them out onto a paper-towel-lined plate in a minute or so. They should look darker and crisper, but not burned. 

While that’s going, boil your noodle water and cook the soba for about 4 minutes, or whatever the package instructs you to do. Then do the thing you never want to do with hot pasta: rinse the noodles with very cold water, moving them so they don’t stick. Immediately toss them in a large bowl (no, seriously, a very large bowl) with all the liquid ingredients. As you do that, throw in the toasted sesame seeds. Season with furikake or shichimi togarashi, garnish with green onions and the anchovies.

This recipe has meandered a bit, so to recap: toast the sesame, mix the wet ingredients in a bowl, fry the fish, boil the noodles. Enjoy on the porch or in front of a fan. Happy summer!