Crunchy Cukes (aka Pickling Cucumbers)

Chinese Cucumber Salad
My grandmother used to make this when we were invited to her house for dinner. It was always one of my favorite dishes. It is a cool and refreshing side that goes well with any Asian-style cuisine. Since it is served cold, it can be made a few hour in advance and refrigerated until ready to serve.

Ingredients:
2 pickling cucumbers
2 tablespoons kikkoman soy (I always use the low sodium version in the green bottle, but either will work)
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil

Directions:
Peel the cucumbers and cube them into bite-sized pieces (I leave the seeds in, but if you don't like them, they can be removed). Combine the rest of the ingredients in a bowl and blend until sugar is dissolved. Add cucumbers and stir to coat with dressing.

A few notes: this does not save well. It gets a bit soggy over time. Best to only make as much as you will serve on the same day. Also, this recipe does not make much, but it's scalable. Since it is a side dish, the portions do not need to be very big. The above recipe serves 4 as a small side.