Voices

Foodie on the Half Shell: Five reasons why I won’t go gluten-free

chathamcommunique

If you read my column, you know that a lot of my focus is on health. I try out most new fad diets to see what I think about them, and some of them are great while others aren’t so much. I understand that we are all trying to figure out what the key to health and fitness is—I am too! I also know that the true answer is a well- rounded diet with exercise. But I would like to make one thing clear: gluten is a part of a well-rounded diet. I think flour products are some of the most divine edibles to be put on this earth. When I heard that a very large group of people were saying that gluten was evil…well I just about freaked out.

Gluten has been my friend for twenty-one years. It has never betrayed me, and I couldn’t believe that so many people had negative feelings toward it. I felt like I didn’t even know some of my best friends anymore. They were saying things like “Olivia, have you tried this quinoa pasta?” or “Yummm, cauliflower crusted pizza is better than that gluten infested stuff that the others eat.” I didn’t know what to do. I was hurt, confused, and angry. Most of all, I knew that I had to stick up for gluten. Here are five huge reasons why gluten is the best thing ever.

  1. Pizza. There is nothing that can replace a good pizza pie. Whether you’re in the mood for a crisp crust or a soft crust, gluten is there is for you. This whole idea of using other vessels like vegetables is just a joke. We all know it isn’t the same. Liking cauliflower crust doesn’t make people think you are hip. It makes us think that your judgment is poor.
  2. Spaghetti. Sofia Loren said it herself: “Everything you see, I owe to spaghetti.” Now that is a woman after my own heart. Spaghetti makes you strong, smart, and beautiful. I have no facts to back that up, but I really believe it, and so should you guys.
  3. It goes with butter really well. Almost anything that contains gluten tastes amazing with a nice big smear of butter. You can make it even better by making a shallot and herb butter. Or spread some delicious stinky cheese on a crisp slice of bread.
  4. It makes you happy. Have you ever noticed that people who eat gluten seem to be so happy? Like me! I am looking forward to this weekend because I am going to eat spaghetti and garlic bread. You know the people who “don’t eat gluten” want it, though, and have their guilty pleasures. Me? I don’t like to limit myself to pretty much anything. Yes, I’m a pescetarian for the most part, but bacon is love.
  5. Sandwiches. There is just nothing like spicy capicola with provolone, lettuce, tomato, hot peppers, and some oil and vinegar between a freshly baked baguette. I am drooling just thinking about it.

So if you actually have celiac disease, then this probably doesn’t apply to you and you probably shouldn’t indulge if it will hurt you. Those of you who are pretending just to be cool, please stop. I want to eat pizza with my friends and not have to remember that they are sensitive to the food of gods. Psh.

What SAE fraternity and the Oklahoma City Bomber have in common

chathamcommunique

There is nothing so great as watching someone truly awful get what they deserve (occasionally with a side helping of getting skewered by the court of public opinion). If there is justice in the world, the skewering will be swift, merciless, and as enduring as the results of a glitter bomb. Unfortunately the caveat exists that, as awful as someone is, there will be someone just as awful who is willing and able to help them try to get away from the punishments they so richly deserve.

A few weeks ago, a video surfaced on youtube of two members of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity at the University of Oklahoma leading their fratmates in a chant that was racist, offensive, and in no way shape or form acceptable conduct. Public opinion rose up and the frat was eventually banned from campus, with the two alleged ringleaders being expelled. One of the ringleaders did give a rather half-baked apology that makes it sound like he would have done it, and would continue to do it, had he not been caught.

If the story ended there, it would be a good story. The good parts of this story include the national chapter of the SAE disavowing all knowledge and ties to the Oklahoma chapter and taking their charter away into the bargain. The excellent version of this story (in a perfect world), would end with the disbanding of the fraternity and academic suspension and/or expulsion for everyone involved.

Unfortunately, the fraternity has hired a lawyer in an attempt to reverse the judgment rendered on them. And the lawyer, Stephen Jones, is very good at what he does. The man has a history of representing clients who are awful people, the most notable example being Timothy McVeigh (the Oklahoma City Bomber).

Stephen Jones is someone you hope looks like a mustache-twirling villain, cackling and rubbing his hands together. Instead, he looks rather normal and a bit like that one grandparent you don’t talk about unless it’s to groan. His current repertoire of excuses for why the men of the fraternity acted the way they did include the usual finger-pointers (helpfully supplied by outside sources): rap and hip-hop are evil and corrupted the minds of pure, innocent young men. Naturally, they are not to blame for anything they said or did. A song called ‘Waka Flocka’ is taking most of the blame, despite being an injured party in this case.

The parents of one of the men expelled from the university say that he is a good boy and that he will live with the consequences of his actions. Unfortunately, society being what it is, he and his fellow expellee will eventually be remembered by the press as misguided young men who made some bad choices and were unjustly punished by a society that didn’t understand them. Sadly, this is not a new thing: young white men are caught being racist, called out on it, and the young men will be defended by the press as misguided youths corrupted by the new trifecta: rap, hip-hop, and violent video games.

If there is justice in the world, Stephen Jones’s push to get the fraternity reinstated and the expulsions overturned will fail.

Why Chatham should not force students to take EverFi’s Haven

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Several weeks ago the Office of Student Affairs sent out an email informing students that there was an additional requirement that needed to be completed by juniors, seniors, and graduate students before they would be permitted to register for the Fall of 2015. This involved a 30-45 minute online course called Haven, powered by a company known as EverFi and was intended to arm students with information regarding sexual assault and abusive relationships in order for students to be, “engaged bystanders and community members dedicated to preventing sexual assault and violence.”

The program overall is an excellent source of information, particularly for first year and sophomore students. Additionally it provides fantastic resources for people who are in dangerous situations or have recently been exposed to a harmful circumstance. As a former RA here at Chatham, I know first hand how crucial it is to have an informed community because it enables us to protect one another from dangerous situations.

When  the course began, there was a quick little statement about how the material might be ‘disturbing’ to some people and, if a student felt the need, to look at the resource page for help. As someone who has been through an abusive relationship, I took note of it but since I had put off the course until the last minute–ironically because I had no desire to read about relationship safety and to be reminded of my own former relationship–I just wanted to get the thing over with so I could register for my final semester. So I began the course.

Unfortunately that trigger-warning label was real. It took about five minutes for me to come across material that started me down the path of panic attacks and flashbacks. However, being the rule follower that I am, I kept going because I really just wanted to register for my classes. I quickly clicked through, skipping as much as I could just to make the thing go away.

I was near the end, my heart racing, and one armed wrapped around my golden retriever, when I remembered that the program had mentioned a resource toolbar if students needed help. Figuring that clicking on the thing was hardly going to make the situation worse,  I clicked and was taken to a list that–while it did have wonderful resources for finding help while in a toxic relationship–there was nothing there to help students who had been triggered by the test. I finished the program, shut down the computer, and spent the next 24-hours trying to pull myself back together.

Chatham needs to be aware that the world is not comprised solely of people just waiting to be informed about these topics. There are a number of people on our campus who have been victims of sexual assault and relationship abuse and have moved on from these events. We’ve worked hard to get over these experiences, gone to therapy, relied on friends for support, and learned what triggers us. Chatham needs to remember us, sympathize with us, and give us another option besides a program that comes with a clear trigger warning label.

Additionally, it is not enough just to provide the option as something students need to inquire about. People avoid things that are going to cause them harm. When I read over the email several weeks ago, I chose to put it off until the last possible moment because I really did not care to think about the subject any more than I needed to, and it did not occur to me to petition to get out of it. An opt-out should be stated clearly in the introductory material sent out from the University.

In response to Sandy Trozzo’s “North Hills to revamp two school libraries”

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According to Sandy Trozzo’s “North Hills to revamp two school libraries”–found online on Post-Gazette.com, The North Hills School District proposed to spend about $1 million in structural fees and $470,000 on furniture to renovate the libraries in the middle school and high school.

In general, libraries in schools serve as a pathway to future success for many students.  Many adolescents can express their beliefs and emotions when reading, as well as calm their anxiety.  Thus, libraries are important for the growth and development of middle school and high school students.

Libraries provide students with access to computers, printers, and audio books.  Technology is a very evolving sector in society, which can be used to help students boost their grades.

Not every student has access to these important technologies in their homes; thus, lack of access should not determine low grades.  Furthermore, audio books are more prevalent in libraries today because some students require a different approach to understanding and learning.  A renovated library will benefit students in many ways, but a renovated library can also improve the communities where the students live by bringing down crime rates.

The smartest adults I know enjoyed spending their time reading in their local libraries growing up.  If students receive a renovated library, then they may want to spend more time in it or become devoted to it, which in turn, can expand their knowledge and future career.

Bringing Eden Hall on-line: the challenge of sustainability

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Kimberly Lucke’s op-ed in the Communiqué–“The Emperor has no clothes: Eden Hall campus’ promise of sustainability as nothing more than an elaborate illusion”– raises some interesting philosophical points, contains some factual errors, and arguments which need a little unpacking. So, in an effort to move towards solutions, let me dive in.

Is the Eden Hall Campus truly sustainable? No, nothing last for eternity. In the end, entropy always wins. But over a timeframe we are comfortable with and with a notion of sustainability that is not so fundamentalist, the Eden Hall infrastructure will be way more sustainable than most university campuses and communities. It is designed to have zero carbon emissions. At present it generates more energy than it uses and does so from renewable sources (geothermal and solar). We actively treat the majority of wastewater and storm water run-off on-site, thus greatly reducing our impact on the waterways of the region.   Our farm is using sustainable practices.  The new buildings are built to high LEED standards. So the infrastructure, energy, and water systems are highly sustainable.

Our challenge now is to build a living and working community on top of this that exemplifies the principles of sustainability. Sustainable communities balance public good (for now and the future) against private desire, and they embody principles of governance which both seek to represent the wishes of the individuals and the rights of the broader public, and generations yet to come.  In this spirit, I throw out a challenge to all of Chatham’s faculty and students. Let’s identify the problems (a thing academia is pretty good at), but also come up with workable solutions. A big chunk of sustainability is about community-generated adaptations to change. Figuring out how to make Eden Hall work as a learning community is the real challenge of the next year.

I also want to clarify that Eden Hall is a campus very much geared for both graduate and undergraduate student use today and in the future. At present, graduate students use it far more than undergrads. The systems that are in place – energy, water, the farm – generate opportunities and data that grad students (and soon undergrad students) embrace and use in their learning.

Eden Hall Campus will be pioneered, seeded if you like, by the Falk School. As the campus grows to the vision of 1,000 students one day, it will become like a branch campus offering a broad range of degrees, but all embodying the sustainable philosophy. Beginning this fall, graduate and undergraduate courses in business, psychology and education are going to be taught there for residents of the North Hills. The new, one-credit Eden Hall Experience classes for all Chatham undergraduates will also be offered. Biology classes and creative writing classes are already planned.

As the range of courses offered at Eden Hall grows, and as we get smarter at using the video-teaching facilities to connect students in one location with faculty in another, the challenge of travelling between the two campus will be reduced.  In the meantime, it is true that public transportation to Eden Hall is poor. That is why we are providing our own shuttle service, shared short-term car rental services and encouraging ride sharing in this inaugural year.

The first residence hall at Eden Hall is on track to open this August. It includes rooms for undergraduates and some more suitable for graduate students, with blocks of two bedrooms connected to their own private bathrooms. True, there are no fully fledged apartments, but that’s the point. We are not trying to emulate the unsustainable lifestyle of today, but rather experiment with a more sustainable lifestyle for the future.

Is Eden Hall isolated and remote? Is there nothing to do out there?  Well, what you see depends so much on where you stand. As someone who lives a mile north of campus, I’ve found there are good farm shops close by Eden Hall, locally-owned restaurants, tennis centers, a community center, shopping and more.

Yes, Eden Hall is not living in downtown Pittsburgh and the campus is not intended to provide urban opportunities. However, with three Chatham locations, spanning a gradient from urban to periurban, and with substantial community-based and urban engagement, we have the unique opportunity to create a 20 mi + learning landscape that can demonstrate how place and scale are key to sustainable initiatives. For example, land use policies, storm water management options, and development approaches vary in their appropriateness depending on location. What is appropriate for downtown Pittsburgh is not appropriate for EHC and vice versa. Our campuses enable us to highlight these place-based differences in a way that other universities cannot.

Whether we are able, over the next 20 years, to build a sustainable campus at Eden Hall depends, in large part, on the engagement of faculty and students.  You can be part of building the vision, for now and for future generations. I welcome the conversation and look forward to working with you all.

Education Failure: Oklahoma edition

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Law, religion, and education in the United States tend to mix in the strangest ways. In the 1930s, there was the case of Tennessee v. Scopes (teaching evolution in science as opposed to creationism, outlined in the Butler Act, which eventually overturned in 1967); every law in the past ten years that have allowed businesses, doctors, and other professional organizations or persons to discriminate based on religious beliefs, and the recent slew of anti-abortion measures–the majority of which intersect with sex ed in the United States in one form or another.

The most current intersection of failure came less than a month ago from Oklahoma, of all places.  Oklahoma has some of the strangest laws on the books (few of which are enforced, due to the obscurity of the laws or the possibility of ridicule that would follow trying to actually prosecute breaches of those laws), and the actions of Representative Dan Fisher are no exception.

Representative Fisher is a Republican (most religiously-based laws in the United States come from the Republican party) and quite firm in his belief that ‘politically correct progressives’ are destroying America’s Christian heritage, which is completely against what the ‘Christian’ Founding Fathers wanted. This ignores the fact that the Founding Fathers were atheists, deists, or kept their noses out of the religious debate that they foresaw coming.

Representative Fisher’s latest blunder into things he probably hasn’t researched to the level of a tenth grade student in Advanced Placement US History (APUSH) is the bill that banned APUSH. The grounds for this bill is that the class violates recent changes to Common Core Standards (the standards were changed so that teachers had to ‘teach the test’ so that students could pass state assessment tests).

The unofficial reason, supported by statements made by Fisher and his friends in the Black Robed Regiment–most of whom haven’t set foot in a public school in decades–is that the course paints American history in an unfair light with few positive aspects and excludes what they believe is the true ‘Christian history’ of the United States.

For those who have not taken an APUSH course, it should be noted that APUSH covers American history from the arrival of Native Americans to the latest presidency.  The level of detail dedicated to each portion varies from instructor to instructor, although the course tends towards being a more comprehensive view of American history than what is offered in standard classes at the same grade level.  It is also one of the faster, cheaper ways to earn college credit or make an admissions form look better than the applicant’s competition.

The bill passed 11-4 in the Oklahoma House Education Committee on the sixteenth–less than a week ago–prompting massive outrage from students and parents.

A poll of 6627 students and parents in two cities in Oklahoma showed that 96 percent of them opposed efforts to ban APUSH.  It can be assumed that the other four percent abstained from answering or were supporters of Fisher’s meddling.

Thankfully, the backlash to the bill was so severe that, in the past week, Fisher has begun doing a backstroke that would make Olympic swimmers proud and is trying to distance himself from his bill in any way possible.

With luck, it will not pass the Oklahoma Senate and will not be implemented, saving future generations from having to read the Ten Commandments, Reagan’s speeches, and two sermons instead of learning the full breadth and depth of true American history.

Foodie on the Half Shell: Blissful bruschetta

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I truly think that food can fix anything. From shedding tears over love lost or a failing grade to helping you feel energetic and motivated. Our mind and body are intertwined in a way that is abstract to think about for someone who may not know a lot about integrative medicine. I took an Intro to Integrative Medicine last semester, and I really enjoyed it because it made me think a lot about what we, as individuals, need to eat to be the best we can be.

The main focuses in integrative medicine are prevention of disease, non- invasive remedies of disease, and the mind body connection. Although I am a huge supporter of modern day medicine (go get your kids vaccinated, darn it!), I also am a supporter of a holistic way of looking at how I take care of my body. Now, my column isn’t about medicine and science, because that is truly not my forte. What it is about, though, is nourishment.

If we nourish our bodies with what they need, our minds (or spirits, whatever you prefer) will respond positively. Sometimes, we need to feed our minds and spirits, though! For the most part of day, I am eating to survive. For breakfast and lunch I eat strictly vegan. I eat a lot of vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats like hummus and avocado. All of those foods are delicious, but there is truly nothing like creamy cheeses or heavy Italian meals. For dinner, I eat to enjoy, while still nourishing myself. It isn’t like I say, “Oh, to Hell with nutrition,” when it is dinner- time, but I do take the time to make something that I truly want to savor.

This bruschetta is a perfect appetizer or small dinner. It feeds your desire for breads and cheese but won’t make your diet crash and burn. By balancing it with a soft cheese, like chèvre, and roasted vegetables, you are getting what your body needs and wants. Tonight, I made this bruschetta to help my partner get ready for an exam tomorrow. When you are studying your butt off, you don’t want to have to think about making yourself food. Also, microwave dinner just won’t support your extreme mental endeavors. I have no idea when microwave meals are a good idea…anyone care to enlighten me?

Eating instructions include serving this on your coffee table while you sit on pillows and drink red wine sangria.

What you will need for two people:

About 6 slices of fresh crusty bread

1 small packet of goat cheese

2 red bell peppers

A package of asparagus

2 teaspoons of garlic salt

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Roast the bell peppers and asparagus with some olive oil at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until the vegetables are caramelized. When cool, chop up the vegetables into small pieces. Mix in the garlic salt and pepper into the vegetables.

Toast the bread with on a cookie sheet in the same oven for about 5-10 minutes with some olive oil drizzled on it.

Smother the goat cheese on the toast. Top with hefty spoonfuls of the vegetables and finish with a drizzle of reduced balsamic vinegar.

Little Red Riding Vogue: Why I don’t watch shows like “Fashion Police”

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As someone interested in fashion, I think a lot of people expect me to watch shows like “Fashion Police.” While I am prone to getting sucked into “America’s Next Top Model” and “Project Runway” marathons, I’ve never been interested in a show that aims to tear people down. One of my least favorite things about the fashion industry is its need to raise up some people while they destroy others. Why do things like “Who Wore it Better” even exist? Why can’t two people wear the same outfit and both be beautiful?

Well it seems I’m not the only one struggling with “Fashion Police.” Recently they’ve gotten a lot of flack for an atrocious comment made at the Oscars. The comment was made about Zendaya—an actress, singer, and dancer.

Zendaya emerged on the red carpet in a beautiful, sleek, ivory gown by Vivienne Westwood. In my opinion, she looked incredible—like what I imagine Greek goddesses to look like. She was dressed and carried herself with so much class. As someone previously unfamiliar with her work, I would have honestly assumed she was just a model or rock royalty. Even Vogue agreed. They said it best, stating, “Oh, what a difference a serious red-carpet moment can make! If you didn’t know who Zendaya was before tuning in to the 87th Annual Academy Awards tonight, well, you will now: The lissome and lovely Disney actress and pop singer caused a stir on the red carpet in a figure-hugging ivory-toned Vivienne Westwood slip of a goddess gown, replete with flowing dreadlocks: one part Lisa Bonet, one part Venus de Milo, and all very grown up (which is to say, all very un-Disney).” In brief, she was stunning.

However, the “Fashion Police” didn’t seem to agree. The show’s host, Giuliana Rancic decided that Zendaya’s look was worthy of racial profiling—due to her beautiful, dreadlocked hair. Rancic said clearly, “I feel that she smells like patchouli oil…or weed. Yeah, maybe weed.”

Many of the people on the show laughed. Notably though, Kelly Osbourne showed some discomfort and instead of laughing, put her hand to her head in shock. This comes as no surprise now that Osbourne has made it clear that she is leaving the show due to that comment. What began with a barrage of angry tweets aimed at the show (to clear her name and her stance on the situation with her fans), has now lead to an official statement.  Within her tweets, Osbourne explained that she and Zendaya were friends and that she does, “not condone racism.”

Since the airing of the show and the backlash, Rancic has tried backpedalling as much as possible. She began by saying she meant the comment as a critique of the “bohemian chic” style. Then she told “Access Hollywood” that she wasn’t even the one who wrote the joke.

Zendaya has since accepted this apology, stating that she hoped it would be, “a learning experience for [Rancic] and for the network.”

However, Zendaya’s first, immediate statement to the comments was without a doubt the strongest statement made during this debacle. In an image she posted on her various social media outlets, Zendaya stood up for herself and her dreadlocks. She listed many incredibly successful and intelligent people with dreadlocks and insisted that none of them smelled like patchouli oil or weed.

While I agree with Zendaya and hope that everyone involved learns from this, I don’t think there was enough coverage on the fact that Kylie Jenner recently got dreadlocks and her hair was described as edgy and cool. Not only does that support cultural appropriation, but it creates a double standard that if the originators of the style have it, it’s gross or dirty, but if cultural appropriators have it, it’s desirable or stylish. This is where I lose some interest in the fashion industry. It’s about time they wake up and fix this broken system.

Actress and activist Jamie Brewer makes history as the first model with Down syndrome to walk during NYFW

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As many of you may have noticed from previous columns, I am a huge fan of “American Horror Story.” Without a doubt, one of my absolute favorite returning actresses is Jamie Brewer. She knocks it out of the park every season. Although she’s been given (and nailed) many different characters, she always gets some of the wittiest, punchiest lines of the season. She is the queen of sass and sarcasm, but her characters almost always have a heart of gold.

“American Horror Story” gave her a breakthrough role as Adelaide ‘Addie’ Langdon in season one. In season three, she returned as Nan the witch. Most recently, in season four, she plays Marjorie, the spirit of a ventriloquist dummy.

However, on Thursday, February 12, Brewer took a step away from acting to pursue another fantastic goal: modeling. Brewer made New York Fashion Week history by being the first model with Down Syndrome to walk the runway.

She tweeted two photos that morning, showing her palpable excitement as she got her hair and makeup done for the catwalk.

Brewer walked at Lightbox (a digital arts and events space in New York City) for designer Carrie Hammer’s “Role Models Not Runway Models” show which was meant to change model stereotypes. Hammer started “Role Models Not Runway Models” at last year’s Fashion Week and has been acclaimed for it.

With Brewer were other incredible women such as computer coders, bankers, CEOs, marketing executives, philanthropists, and more.

Besides being an actress, Brewer is also an activist, artist, and writer. When she was 19, Brewer was elected to the State of Texas ARC Board (an organization for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities). She also served on the ARC Governmental Affairs Committee for Texas.

Brewer was the last to walk in the show, wearing an original design–a black dress with a belt-cinched waist. Hammer was quoted as saying the look was inspired by the darkness of “American Horror Story.” The cinched waist was added to the design specifically to show off Brewer’s incredible, curvy figure.

As expected, she brought her familiar confidence and power from “American Horror Story” to the runway. Her red lips showed off her memorable smirk and her walk was as flawless as a more seasoned model.

Overall, I couldn’t be happier for Brewer. I’ve always been a fan of her acting, and now she’s tackled modeling. Beyond that, I also admire all the work she’s done as an activist, and I hope we see more of her on the runway.

Foodie on the Half Shell: Nutty for peanut noodles

chathamcommunique

I believe that peanut noodles should be a part of everyone’s diet. They are sweet and salty and sometimes spicy. You can do them in all different ways. You can add whatever kind of toppings you want to them such as bacon, radishes, or maybe some grilled fruit.

I make these noodles pretty often because they are cheap, very quick to make, and easy. If I am having a busy night, peanut noodles are always a reliable dish to make. The most fun thing about making them for other people is that they assume they are difficult to make because they sounds foreign and interesting. Actually it’s really easy to be good at making them.

Seriously, though, if you add peanut butter to anything it automatically becomes delicious. If you add it to something that is typically savory, then you are deemed inventive. Such as a peanut butter, pickle, and bacon sandwich (if you haven’t tried it, then change that). What does it say about someone if they eat that type of sandwich? Ah, yes they are creative and quirky.

It makes even some of the worst foods taste great, too. Like celery. If you are into cooking you know that celery is a part of the kitchen’s “holy trinity” (celery, onion, and carrots), but celery is the worst tasting vegetable out there. Its taste is comparable to licking the outside of a prenatal vitamin. I have no clue why we actually choose to eat it. It’s just an excuse to dump a quarter of a cup of ranch dressing into our mouths.

The key to this dish is the sauce. The sauce can be used for other types of things, though, not just noodles. I remember my first introduction to peanut sauce was dipping Morning Star vegetarian chicken nuggets in it as a kid. I still think that sounds delicious and all types of nostalgic. This recipe for the peanut sauce is my favorite that I have made, yet. It would be delicious in a chicken wrap with some cabbage and red onion or dipping any type of vessel into it, such a veggies or chicken (or Chik’n) nuggets. Feel free to play around with the proportions of the ingredients in the sauce to your own liking.

What you will need for two entrée sized portions:

½ lb of soba noodles

¼ cup of peanut butter

¼ cup of soy sauce

1 Tbs of honey

1 Tbs of garlic powder

1 tsp of ground ginger

2 tsps of cayenne pepper

¼ cup of water

Whatever you want to top the noodles with: crushed peanuts, bacon, fried scallions, radishes, etc.

Cook the soba noodles to al dente. Combine the rest of the ingredients till the sauce is smooth and not too thick. You don’t want it to be too watery either. Add the water slowly to make sure the consistency is correct. Stir the sauce into the noodles making sure they are consistently covered. I enjoy my peanut noodles cold with green peppers, radish, peanuts, and extra cayenne pepper.