. I had spent an idol but fascinating morning wandering along the lanes of Singapore’s change Allie. The street stalls display just about everything you may need in the way of knickknacks, impulse items or gifts for friends. Designer sunglasses from Germany, France, and the United States (probably all manufactured in Singapore) were nestled against leather wallets, pocket calculators, portable radios, and cameras. Large plastic dolls with cartoon moon phases long overhead and brightly colored beach balls bobbled against customers years. My purse was almost empty, my arms weighted down with packages, and I wanted lunch.

Turning away from the water, I entered a maze of streets and found a small restaurant. I don’t member the name – probably good luck or gold coin or something equally oriental but oblique. My own good luck wasn’t stumbling across what a later found to be called Chap Chye. This dish, a fried potpourri of interesting things is Singapore’s answer to the quick meal. The ingredients are unmistakably Chinese. One visit to a Chinese food store or a well-stocked oriental section and a superior supermarket will capture them all.

Soak all the dried ingredients, separately in scalding hot water for 15 min. while you start to prepare the remaining items.

Yield: four servings.
Preparation time: 20 min.
cooking time: 12 to 14 Min.

ingredients

for dried Chinese mushrooms.
1/2 cup of dried lily buds.
For pieces of dried wood fungus (also known as cloud – year fungus or jelly mushrooms)
one (2 ounce) Hank of a mung bean (bean thread) noodles.
One quarter cup of peanut oil
two garlic cloves, smashed, peeled and chopped
one (1 inch) piece of fresh ginger root, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup of chopped white cabbage.
1/2 cup of sliced and canned bamboo shoots, drained
4 cups of deep-fried bean curd, cut in half.
1/2 cup of cooked peeled baby shrimp.
1 tablespoon of soy sauce.
2 teaspoons of Chinese rice wine or pale dry sherry
half teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoons of sesame oil.
Two green onions, cleaned and chopped

How to Make.

But the Chinese mushrooms, lily buds, wood fungus, mung bean noodles in four separate bowls and pour over each enough boiling water to cover. Let them soak for 15 min. while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Drain the water off the dried ingredients. Remove and discard the mushrooms stems and cut the Half. Squeeze the mushrooms, Lily buds, and wood fungus to remove any excess moisture and set them in the drain noodles aside.

Pour the oil into a wok over high heat, and bring it to just under the smoking point. Add the garlic and ginger and stir fry for 30 seconds.

Add the cabbage and stir, then the mushrooms and stir fry for 30 seconds. Put in the lily buds and wood fungus and stir fry everything for about 30 seconds.

Now add the bamboo shoots and bean curd to the wok and stirfry everything for 1 min.. Add the noodles and shrimp and continue to toss the mixture until the shrimp are heated through.

Mix all the seasonings together in a small bowl and sprinkle them over the top of the mixture. Stir in the green onions and stirfry in continuous motion for one more minute.

Transfer everything to a large heated platter and serve immediately.

Cook’s notepad: if you cannot find the ready prepared, deep-fried bean curd, you may make your own ahead of time by pressing the soft fresh bean curd until all the moisture is gone and it is compact and firm. Cut into 2 inch squares, patted dry with paper towels, and deep-fried in vegetable oil until the bean curd is crisp and brown on the outside. The squares will keep, refrigerated for 2 to 3 days. If you cannot locate the wood fungus or the lily buds. You may leave them out, but the Chap Chye will lose some of its unique character.

“I am the first in my family to write down the exact ingredients for this recipe. I tweaked it a bit from my mother’s method. She adapted it from her grandmother who brought the recipe to America from Germany in the late 1800s.”

soup ingredients:
1 3-to-4 pound hen or broiler, halved
one medium onion, chopped
3 to 4 celery stalks, chopped
1 teaspoon celery seed
2 to 3 carrots, chopped
2 Bay leaves
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 tablespoon black pepper
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
two chicken bullion cubes

noodle ingredients:
two large eggs
4 tablespoons milk or cream
1/2 teaspoons salt
2 cups all-purpose flour

Preparation instructions.
Place the chicken in a large stock pot or soup kettle. Cover with water, about 8 cups. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove the foam with a slotted spoon as it forms on top. Add the onion, celery, celery seed, carrots, Bay leaves, salt, pepper, vinegar, sugar and boillon cubes. reduce the temperature and simmer for 1 to 2 hours or until the meat is tender. Adjust the seasonings to taste. Remove the chicken from the pot, discard the bone and skin. chop the meat when cool enough to handle. reserve the stock for boiling the noodles.
For the noodles, beat the eggs with a fork in a medium bowl. stir in the milk, and salt. Add the flour and blend with a fork until the dough can be worked with your fingers. separate the dough into two pieces. On a floured surface roll out each piece of dough with a rolling pin until thin, keeping the rolling surface floured to avoid sticking. slice the dough into thin strips. Place on waxed paper and allow to dry for 20 to 30 min. Add the strips to the hot broth and cook for 10 min. or until tender. Stir in the meat and serve.

tips from our test kitchen: this delicious labor of love is hearty and healing the noodles can be rolled thicker to resemble dumplings.

6 oz round rice noodles
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cubed
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 small onion, chopped
2 minced garlic cloves
1 tsp chopped fresh ginger root
1/2 tsp ground tumeric
1 large red chili, seeded and chopped
1 1/4 cup thick coconut milk (made by blending equal parts fresh coconut and water in blender and straining through cheese cloth)
2 tbsp peanut oil
1 quart chicken stock
3-4 tbsp chickpea flour, dissolved in 1/2 cup cold water

Garnish

Sliced hard boiled eggs
1 red onion, thinly sliced, soaked in cold water and drained
Lemon slices
Chopped cilantro

1. Cook the noodles for 2-3 minutes in boiling water. Drain and give cold water bath. Drain and set aside. Just before serving, reheat the noodles by pouring hot water over them while in a colander.

2. Rub the chicken with the fish sauce and set aside.

3. Blend together the onion, garlic, ginger, tumeric and chili in a food processor. When smooth, add 3 tbsp of coconut milk to form paste.

4. Fry the paste in peanut oil over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add chicken and stir-fry for another 2-3 minutes. Add half of the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Continue cooking chicken for 8-10 minutes.

5. In a separate small saucepan, heat the remaining stock to a boil. Add the flour, stirring to prevent lumps. When thick, strain the stock into the chicken. Stir well. When the soup starts to boil, add the remaining coconut milk. Taste and adjust the seasoning by adding salt or more fish sauce. Bring the soup back to a rolling boil.

6. At the same time, reheat the noodles and place them in your serving dish. Pour chicken mixture over noodles and top with garnishes. Serve immediately.

Salad

1 bag (10 ounce) Italian-style mixed greens
2 cups julienne carrots
2 cans (8 ounces each) sliced water chestnuts, drained
1 can (11 ounces) mandarin orange segments, drained
1/3 cup sliced green onions (from 5 or 6 whole green onions)
1 Tbsp sesame seed, toasted if desired
1/2 cup chow mein noodles

Dressing

2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp salt
3 Tbsp vinegar
1 tsp red pepper sauce
1 tsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp canola oil

1. In a 13×9 glass baking dish, layed salad ingredients in the order listed.

2. In a small bowl, mix all dressing ingredients except the oil with a wire whisk. Add oil and blend thoroughly. Drizzle over salad and top with additional chow mein noodles.

TIPS: For the garnish noodles, look for wide chow mein noodles for a variety within the salad.

Ingredients
8 oz soba noodles (buckwheat noodles)
1 1/2 c thinly sliced scallion
3 tablespoon of sesame oil
2 tablespoon of soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon of crushed red-pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 of orange

Tsuke-jiru (dipping sauce for soba)
3 cups of ichiban dashi
1/2 cup of kaeshi
1/2 cup of katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes)

Kaeshi (base for the dipping sauce)
6 tablespoons of shoyu
2 teaspoons of tamari
1 tablespoon of sugar

Directions
1. Fill a 6-quart saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add noodles and cook for 6 minutes.
2. Empty into a colander and rinse well with cold water. Drain and place in a serving bowl. Stir in scallion and toss gently then set aside.
3. Grate orange to produce a half teaspoon fine zest. Juice orange to produce 3 tablespoons liquid. Place zest and juice in a small bowl and whisk in remaining ingredients. Pour dressing over noodle mixture.
4. Toss gently and refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow flavors to blend. Serve cold or at room temperature.