Lost and found

I had a panic-stricken moment last night. In the middle of choir rehearsal, I looked down at my hand and blurted out, "Oh no! Where's my wedding ring?" The Dunavettes immediately began to turn the room upside down looking for my ring. One minute later, my phone bleeped with a text from the rabbi -- they'd found my wedding ring at the shiva minyan house. I went from panic to relief in two minutes or less. Here's the back story:

I spent part of the afternoon making food for a family in mourning. My go-to dish for our synagogue's Mitzvah Corps is sesame cold noodles. I can make it in advance, it's tasty, and it transports well.

I like to cook with my hands, and I am scrupulous about cleanliness. When tossing the rice noodles with the dressing, it's easier to use my hands and not utensils. Sometimes I wear food service gloves, but yesterday I just washed my hands and tossed. Somewhere along the way, around 4:00 PM, my wedding ring slipped off, either into the bowl or into the foil dishes, and I didn't notice. By the time I noticed I wasn't wearing my ring, it was after 7 PM.

I don't know who ended up with my ring in their dinner, but as Rik pointed out, I am grateful that they didn't end up eating it. A friend returned the ring to our home, and it was waiting for me after rehearsal.

A side note: When we got married, my mother offered me my grandmother's wedding ring and my great-great-aunt's engagement and wedding rings. We turned Aunt Dora's rings into a beautiful engagement ring, but Mima's ring was too large for me. Rik wears it, and we had a smaller ring made for me with the same pattern chased into the gold.

A second side note: the sesame cold noodles recipe (without wedding ring!)

Sesame Cold Noodles

Serves 4 - 6 as a side dish. Easily increases to serve a crowd.

Sauce:

2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

2 tablespoons Chinese sesame paste (or tahina or peanut butter)

1 tablespoon dark sesame oil

1 - 2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce

2 tablespoons rice wine, vermouth or other white wine

2 tablespoons peeled, chopped fresh ginger

1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon honey

1/2 teaspoon chili paste or crushed dried red peppers OR 2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce

Pinch of five-spice powder

Toppings:

1 bunch scallions, chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1 cup shredded carrots

1 cup shredded cucumber

8 ounces pasta (spaghetti, linguini, soba or rice noodles)

Optional additions: Cooked shredded chicken, seared tofu or seared ahi tuna

In a blender or food processor, puree all the sauce ingredients until free of lumps and reserve.

Cook the noodles cooked according to package directions and drain. Rinse noodles under cold water and toss with a little vegetable oil to keep from sticking. Store noodles in bowl in refrigerator. Toss with sauce and toppings when ready to serve.