National Noodle Day—Who Noo?
October 6th is National Noodle Day according to the Days of the Year Calendar
Every day is a holiday, and today is a very special one. In addition to being my sister’s birthday (Happy Birthday, Helen!) it has been designated National Noodle Day by the influencers behind the National Day Calendar. October 6th shares this distinction with National Coaches Day, National German-American Day, and National Mad Hatters Day, so many things are working behind the scenes. But I’m focusing on the Noodles, because –ta da!--I am now marketing noodles. This is my coming out post.
This golden opportunity popped up last month when our son Joe saw one of his friend's posts on Linked In. Riley Gibson was looking for a food writer and recipe developer for a company that he and his brother bought on September 1st. In his first email message, Riley described his venture—a company called Grandma’s Frozen Noodles that has been in business since 1961 in Arvada, Colorado. The noodles are made with fresh, wholesome ingredients on machinery that dates back to the 1950s—my own era. Was I interested? Very!
After our initial email exchange, I went out directly and found some of Grandma’s egg noodles in the freezer aisle at my local Broulim’s grocery store. I wondered—how did I never know these existed? I have spent my entire life trawling through grocery stores, but I never knew that egg noodles existed in a frozen state.
Frozen egg noodles are very different from dried egg noodles. They are in the same league as fresh noodles, with a substantial and chewy texture and a springiness to the bite. They are unlike the slithery types of dried noodles you can slurp and swallow in a gulp. They require some attention to chewing in a very pleasant and satisfying way. They are worthy of your homemade, delicious chicken broth. Old fashioned, but with the instant gratification of a freezer product. You can always have them on hand.
My first experimental dish at home was Haluski, the Polish noodle and cabbage staple that I remembered from my own grandma’s kitchen. Noodles were often on the menu at Baci’s kitchen, though I was very young and didn’t understand Polish, so I lost some of the lesson. I remember the visuals, the action, and the taste. I remember the rolling and cutting and then the separating of the strands. I remember the sautéing of the onion, garlic, and cabbage, until lightly browned, and then adding the noodles and mixing it all together. So satisfying for a such a simple dish.
My new job promoting noodles is a match made in heaven. It reminds me of my roots and allows me to use this product creatively to encourage more people to come to the table.
Happy Noodle Day from Grandma’s Frozen Noodles and from G-ma. Check out the Grandma’s Frozen Noodle website for more delicious recipes and information about NOODLES.
Haluski (Polish fried cabbage and noodles)
Makes 6-8 servings
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium yellow onion, sliced thin
1 small (about 2 pounds) head of cabbage, quartered, cored, and sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces (or more) frozen egg noodles, cooked
Salt and pepper to taste
In a Dutch oven or large pot, melt the butter and add the onion and cabbage.
Cook for about 30 minutes over medium-high heat until the vegetables are soft and starting to brown. Add the garlic and cook for a few minutes more.
While the vegetables are cooking, boil the noodles according to the package instructions. Remove them from the heat while slightly underdone, as they will cook a bit more with the vegetables.
When the noodles are done and the cabbage is soft and starting to brown a little, add the noodles to the cabbage.
Season to taste with salt and pepper and cook together for a few more minutes.