SATORU W. BAUMAN is a bit of a renaissance man. Beside his main career as a jeweler and metal worker, he has developed an amazing command of all things Japanese, including, of course, cooking. I’ve had many amazing meals and Japanese-style barbecues with Satoru. On this day, he was making soba. Delicious and simple – though anything but simple to make.

80% buckwheat, 20% flour and water, Satoru’s two-ingredient recipe can take a long time to learn. This is because buckwheat doesn’t have any gluten, which makes it difficult to work with and easy to overwork. The noodle maker must work fast but a master will also keep their cool.

It was a pleasure to watch Satoru bring his noodles into shape. Just as pleasurable was eating them at the end of the day!

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_{TEXT BY RAFAEL WAACK}