SPICY KOREAN CABBAGE with NOODLES

For sauce:

• 1/3 cup water
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 2 to 3 teaspoons Korean hot-pepper paste (If you aren't able to find Korean hot-pepper paste, substitute 3/4 teaspoon Chinese chile paste and reduce the amount of soy sauce to 1/4 cup. OR, add dried chile pepper powder to taste)
• 1 tablespoon unrefined sugar or honey

For noodles:

• 3 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped peeled ginger
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
• 10 oz fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced
• 1 1/4 pound Chinese Cabbage, thinly sliced (8 cups)
• 6 scallions, thinly sliced
• 8 to 9 ounces soba (buckwheat noodles)

Stir together all sauce ingredients until brown sugar is dissolved, then set aside.Toast sesame seeds in a dry 12-inch heavy skillet (not nonstick) over medium heat, stirring, until pale golden, then transfer to a small bowl. Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then sauté ginger and garlic, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add shiitakes and sauté, stirring frequently, until tender and starting to brown, about 6 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, then add cabbage and most of scallions (reserve about a tablespoon for garnish) and cook, stirring occasionally, until cabbage is tenderadding a little water if necessary. Add sauce and simmer 2 minutes.While cabbage is cooking, cook soba and edamame together in a pasta pot of boiling salted water (2 tablespoons salt for 6 quarts water) until noodles are just tender, about 6 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse under cool water to stop cooking and remove excess starch, then drain well again. Transfer to a large bowl and toss with sesame seeds and vegetable mixture. Serve sprinkled with reserved scallions.