Matthew Amster-Burton (mamster) is a Seattle food writer who contributes frequently to the Seattle Times and MSN. His work was featured in Best Food Writing 2003, 2004, and 2006. His favorite food is phad thai. He lives in Seattle with his wife Laurie and daughter Iris. Published in: The Seattle Times (since 2001), MSN, The Oregonian, and Seattle Magazine.

Matthew’s Blog is called Roots and Grubs.com, he is the recipient of Honors for Best Food Writing Anthology, 2003, 2004, and 2006, a Member of the Association of Food Journalists. Matthew also writes for Culinate.com, and SeriousEats.com .

Here’s that recipe for you, and thanks! I had a great time. -Matthew

ANTS ON A TREE
Serves about 3
Adapted from Noodle, by Terry Durack

8 ounces ground pork
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon hot bean paste
1 teaspoon cornstarch
7 to 8 ounces cellophane noodles
2 tablespoons peanut oil
2 scallions, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
1 red jalapeño or Fresno chile, seeded and minced
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1/4 tsp ground Sichuan peppercorns (optional)

1. In a medium bowl, combine pork with soy sauce, sugar, hot bean
paste, and cornstarch. Refrigerate 20 minutes.

2. Place noodles in a large bowl and pour boiling water over to cover.
Soak 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, and drain in a colander.

3. Heat oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet or a wok over medium-high
heat. Add the scallions and jalapeño and cook 30 seconds, stirring
frequently. Add the pork and stir-fry until no longer pink, breaking
up any chunks, about 3 minutes.

4. Add the noodles, chicken stock, dark soy sauce, and Sichuan pepper.
Cook, tossing the noodles with two wooden spoons, until the sauce is
absorbed and pork is well distributed throughout the noodles. Transfer
to a large platter and serve immediately.

*Notes on ingredients:*

**Hot bean paste:** This is the stuff Chen was always reaching for on
Iron Chef. Available at Asian groceries and some supermarkets, it’s
sometimes called hot bean sauce, or spicy bean paste, or similar.

**Cellophane noodles:** Also called bean threads. Look for mung bean
starch in the ingredients. Available at supermarkets.

**Dark soy sauce:** Also called Superior Soy Sauce or Soy Superior
Sauce. I usually buy Pearl River Bridge Mushroom Soy Sauce, which is
also the same thing.

Crestfallen cakes? Slumped soufflés? Do you have an altitude problem?

When Susan G. Purdy began traveling across the country to teach baking, she soon discovered that the recipes she’d perfected at home in Connecticut (altitude 540 feet) wouldn’t fly in high-altitude venues.

The more she asked for advice, the more she realized how little information existed for adapting recipes to suit kitchens in higher elevations. So she packed a suitcase with her favorite recipes, enlisted the help of a few engineers, and began testing variations in home kitchens across the country, from North Carolina to Colorado. We’ll talk with Susan about the chemistry of baking, what goes wrong, and how to adjust for altitude.

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