Afew years ago, when I was doing my final tests of this recipe—one of my favorites from Bowl—it was peak August. My poorly ventilated apartment was very much a sweat lodge, and the last thing I wanted to do was bring a pot of liquid to simmer. But I had no choice. I was on deadline. I’d learned in my research aboutthe principle—popular throughout many East Asian cuisines—of battling hot food with hot weather, but as Isat over this bowl of steaming“summer” ramen, my hair, face, and clothes ma...