One of my favorite shows on Netflix is the Japanese production Samurai Gourmet. I LOVE this show. I’m crossing my fingers that they will produce more episodes.  It follows newly retired exec Kasumi as he rediscovers the simple pleasures of life (most of which involve food of course).  Timid by nature, he has an alter ego, a confident, bravado-filled Samurai, who appears when Kasumi is faced with an awkward situation.  Its funny, sweet, poignant and filled with FOOD PORN.

Each episode features a meal that Kasumi savors over.  My favorite episode finds him searching for a favorite dish from his youth. The first bite immediately transports him back to his childhood.  To really make you drool, there are close-ups of each dish being prepared or eaten followed by Kasumi exclaiming “oishi!” (delicious!). If you have Netflix, this is must-see TV.  If you don’t, call me.  We’ll do a marathon session and go out for ramen afterward.

So I arrived home after a particularly long commute and needed to unwind.  Not wanting to watch the news I popped on Netflix and found my favorite episode of Samurai Gourmet.  Big mistake, before the end credits ran I was ravenous. Watching Kasumi slurp up a plate of pasta had me salivating for a bowl of noodles.  I hopped up, headed to the fridge, and luckily found a tiny portion of linguine left from last night’s dinner.  I grabbed it, the butter, and the bottle of ketchup.

Yep, you read that right.  Butter and ketchup.  Did you laugh when you read that? When I was a kid my Mom would make us Ketchup noodles for an after-school snack.  It was quick and easy and held us over until dinner.  I continued the tradition with my kids and would have a plate waiting for them as they came running in from school.  Jamie, our noodle girl loved them.

You can add anything you want to this dish.  Saute some onions and minced garlic before adding the noodles to the pan.  Spice it up with a dash of chili flakes…use your imagination!  Here is a refined version from Just One Cookbook, a Japanese blog post.  See, I’m not alone, ketchup and noodles are a Japanese thing too.

Hi Mui, Claire, Jorge, Jeffy