Ingredients:

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
   7      ounces        Japanese buckwheat noodles -- (up to 8)
   1      tablespoon    grated fresh ginger
   3                    scallions -- thinly sliced
     1/2  teaspoon      anchovy paste -- or to taste
     1/2  cup           soy sauce
     1/2  cup           mirin or dry sherry
   2      tablespoons   rice vinegar
   1      pinch         sugar
   1      pinch         salt
     1/4  cup           carrot -- julienne
   1      sheet         nori

Preparation:

Bring a saucepan of water to a boil and cook the Buckwheat noodles a few minutes. Drain and refresh under cold running water. Hold noodles in a bowl with cold water until ready to serve. Mix ginger, scallion and anchovy paste and set aside. In a small saucepan bring soy sauce, Mirin and vinegar to taste, to a boil. Mix this warm liquid into ginger, scallion and anchovy paste and season to taste with sugar, salt and pepper. Transfer this to 4 small dipping bowls. Drain noodles and portion out into 4 small bowls; top each portion with some julienned carrot. Toast sheet of Nori over an electric burner or place in a hot cast iron or heavy skillet and cook until crisp and crumble it over the soba and carrot. Dip noodles in sauce, and enjoy. Yield: 4 appetizer servings