Take a chance on me.

I love when a new recipe directs me to an ingredient I have never heard of or worked with before. There’s that moment of fear at the market when you say the name out loud for the first time, wondering just how horribly you botched it’s pronunciation. There’s the prickly moment of anticipation when you begin to cook, that runs up the back of your neck again when you taste it, knowing you may have completely screwed up, rendering the ingredients nearly inedible. Finally, there’s the moment when you serve it, smiling, to your dinner guests and tell them it’s quite possibly the best thing you’ve ever tasted, hoping desperately that they’ve never heard of it before either*.

This is cooking at its best. I  love nothing more than trying new things, taking a chance, failing miserably sometimes, and then getting right back on that figurative horse. It’s the only way you learn, and there is joy and fellowship in sharing these adventures with others.

So grab some soba noodles – Japanese buckwheat pasta – clean, dark, Japanese Tamari soy sauce, deep, roasted sesame oil and that odd beast, fresh, unsalted peanut butter, with a skim of oil over the top. Then make this wonderful cold summer salad. Feel free to get it wrong a few times, but each time you bring it to the table smile, tell them it’s magnificent, and enjoy every minute of your time together.

*This, of course, is significantly more fun if you’ve just laid down the weekly grocery budget for something like dried porcini mushrooms or a rack of lamb. Soba noodles are cheap.

Thai Peanut Noodle Salad

Serves 4

Peanut butter, soy sauce and rice vinegar come together in a rich savory sauce. A hit of heat from the Sriracha cuts through the fat and starch while cucumber, cilantro and scallions keep it bright and fresh.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound soba noodles (look in the Asian section of your grocery store) or wholewheat spaghetti

• 3 medium cucumbers, peeled, halved, seeded and sliced

• 2 scallions, thinly sliced

• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro

• 2 tbs toasted sesame seeds

Dressing:

• 1/4 cup fresh, unsalted peanut butter*

• 3 tbs Tamari soy sauce

• 2 tbs sesame oil

• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

• Sriracha hot sauce

*The oil separates and rises to the top in fresh peanut butter. Just stir it into the jar before using. You can find organic brands like Teddy Bear on your grocery store shelf. If you are allergic to peanuts, try Tahini, a toasted sesame seed paste, or another nut butter.

Directions:

• Cook noodles: add to boiling, unsalted water. When al dente, drain and rinse with cold water.

• Make the dressing: Thin the peanut butter by whisking it with 1/4 cup warm water. It will take a minute or so of whisking for the peanut butter to separate and come together with the water in a smooth paste. Whisk in soy sauce, sesame oil and vinegar. Season to taste with Sriracha and an additional pinch of salt and splash of vinegar as needed.

• Assemble salad: Dress noodles with peanut dressing. Start slow and make sure you don’t overpower the noodles. Serve topped with cucumbers, scallions, fresh cilantro and sesame seeds. Serve salad at room temperature.

TIP: If you want to make extra dress and store the noodles in the refrigerator. Add cucumber, cilantro and scallion right before serving.