Why tomato noodles make people fall in love at first bite

Everyone loves noodle dishes, and small, charming noodle shops stand on every corner, mostly serving inexpensive everyday snacks; the Japanese-style ramen that has risen in popularity over the past few years, whether from brands created by Taiwanese people themselves or Japanese brands that have crossed the sea, has whipped up a whirlwind, with queues of people a common sight; recently several noodle shops billing themselves as "five-star" have opened one after another in the city, with high, spacious ceilings and stylish decor that is extremely eye-catching, and business is good; prices and flavors vary from person to person, so no comment.

Noodle dishes are diverse, with contents of every kind, and those using tomato as an ingredient are almost always Italian pasta or beef noodles, with the simple, plain home-style tomato noodle rarely seen, yet this is the one flavor I am devoted to. Take fresh tomatoes and onion, pair them with all kinds of vegetables and mushrooms, meat or seafood, and add your favorite noodles; rich or light as you please, meat or vegetarian at will, simple and quick, nutritious and healthy, very well suited to busy modern families, empty-nest couples, or singles cooking for themselves.

When I had just moved, there was a tiny noodle shop nearby run by a young couple, with just four or five simple tables, clean and tidy, every dish tasty, and often full of customers. Besides dumplings, da lu mian, and braised snacks and side dishes, the tomato noodle was a must-order signature dish. Pork bone broth with tomato chunks, cabbage, king oyster mushrooms, wood ear, and sliced meat boiled together, then a handful of bright green vegetables added, poured over freshly lifted noodles, with the timing judged just right, a black clay bowl holding a tomato vegetable noodle of brilliant colors, that slight tartness and clean sweetness on the tongue, matched with springy noodles, one hundred percent nutritious and delicious. It is just a pity that this distinctive little shop closed for no apparent reason, and I never found that flavor again. By chance, the care and creativity of two good friends let me taste a specially made, delicious home-style tomato noodle.

Using special Burmese bean crumble to make a delicious tomato noodle

Monica and her husband are skilled at all kinds of home cooking, and I am often invited to taste their excellent dishes. M knows deeply the characteristics of all kinds of ingredients and culinary knowledge, has first-rate shopping ability, and following her to buy always yields good quality at low prices; following her methods, one can always cook up pretty good flavors. Her husband grew up in Myanmar and is very good at using all kinds of Southeast Asian spices to cook home-style dishes, and his noodle-cooking skill is even more first-rate; his tomato noodle is unmatched.

Heat oil in a wok and fry the special Yunnan-Myanmar bean crumble blocks until fragrant, then add pre-steamed tomatoes (without adding water) and cook together, and a red sauce as thick as meat sauce comes out. On the side, pork cartilage broth already simmered, without the greasiness of bone broth but clear and fresh and sweet; hand-pulled meat from around the cartilage and freshly lifted springy noodles placed in a clean white porcelain bowl, thickly drizzled with that rich tomato sauce, then topped with a handful of blanched baby bok choy, brought to the table, diners widen their eyes, forget their image, set their chopsticks in motion, quickly toss the noodles, and wolf them down, eating noisily and with utter delight.

May and her husband love innovative cooking, most often combining Chinese and Western methods to cook stunning food. They grow all kinds of herb plants on their own balcony, picking fresh herbs at any time to add to dishes, and have spoiled all their friends' palates. May's vegetable soup is the best base for all kinds of dishes — a little olive oil to fry minced garlic until fragrant, add onion, carrot, and celery and stir-fry together, then add water, salt, black pepper, rosemary, and bay leaf and simmer together for 45 minutes, skim out the solids and keep the broth. The tomato noodle she cooks with this vegetable soup surpasses any five-star noodle dish.

Heat a pan with a little oil and lightly fry tomato, onion, and sliced meat (omit for vegetarians), pour in vegetable soup (water or any broth will do), add wood ear, carrot, and enoki mushrooms and bring to a boil together, put in the noodles and cook together, and finally drop in one beaten egg, sprinkle with chopped scallion, and add a handful of baby bok choy. Serve this noodle dish of interwoven Chinese and Western flavors in a dark clay bowl, and the clean fragrance of vegetables combined with herbs fills the air, beauty and taste coexisting, and no one can resist.

My good friends were once working women burning the candle at both ends, and after moving into retirement one after another, they worked hard to change their eating and living habits, each stepping into the kitchen to cook, giving play to their own culinary skills and ingenuity, cooking one delicious and beautiful home-style dish after another to share with family and friends. They have found joy in life and also fit the contemporary trend of being environmentally friendly, healthy, and nourishing, making the second half of life happy and high in quality.