5    To 6 oz. of dry vermicelli

           Noodles
      6 T  Rice vinegar

      4 t  Sugar

      2 t  Soy sauce

      1 t  Salt

      1    To 2 tbsp of sesame seeds

      1    Medium-sized cucumber

           - extra sesame seeds for the
           Top
           - scallion greens, thinly
           Sliced-optional (I used the
           Scallions greens)
  1) Cook the noodles in boiling water until just tender. Drain and rinse in

  cold water. Drain thoroughly, and transfer to a medium-sized bowl. (My
  advice, store in water if not using right away!) 2) Add vinegar, sugar, soy
  sauce, salt, and sesame seeds. Mix well. Cover and chill until cold. (Don't
  chill for too long or the noodles will stick together. I did this but was
  able to save it by adding more rice vinegar until the noodles separated
  again. It tasted great.) 3) Peel adn seed the cucumber. Cut into quarters
  lengthwise, then into thin pieces. If not serving right away, wrap the
  cucumber pieces in a plastic bag or plastic wrap and refrigerate. 4) To
  serve, divide the noodles amon 4 or 5 serving bowls. Top with a small
  handful of cucumber slices, a light sprinkling of sesame seeds, and , if
  desired, a few very thin slices of scallion greens. Serve cold.
  This salad is subtle adn very refreshing. There is a variety of
  textures-chewy cold noodles (bean thread noodles, some call them cellophane
  noodles 'cause when you boil them they become clear), crunchy sesame seeds,
  and smooth cucumber slices. Sweet, salt, and vinegar combine harmoniously,
  each understated but very much present.
  Everything except the cucumbers and toppings can be combined several days
  ahead of time. (I beg to differ on this claim because, if you don't keep
  the boiled noodles in cold water while setting them aside, they will stick
  together.) The cucumbers can be prepared ahead also, and kept separate
  until serving.
  Note: The dressing contains no oil. ( However the sesame seeds do)
  Prep time:  15 minutes, plus chilling time, Yield: 4 to 5 servings
  Bon Appetit!
  Tina Dupart (tdupart@cisco.com) Formatted by Sue Smith, S.Smith34,
  TXFT40A@Prodigy.com using MMCONV Fatfree Digest [Volume 9 Issue 6] June 27,
  1994