Ramen Noodles

A day or so ago I described a dish (Huevos Rancheros) I thought should be called more of a process than a recipe, since there are so many possibilities for variance. Here's another one .. among the least expensive items you can buy at the store. I can find it at MLG for as low as six cents a package. It comes in many, many flavors.

And, prepared according to the package directions, it is just about as bland as anything you will find, unless you do something interesting to tart it up. Fortunately that is not a difficult process, and can be quite rewarding.

Any purists in the house can leave now. Stick around if you like, but please don't say anything. This post is not based on any recipe, food group, culture or blog I have ever seen. The result tastes good, and fits well within my present guidelines. It gives an illusion of Asian dining on a pretty low budget. Since my fridge often contains odd scraps of various ingredients that need to be eaten before they spoil, I've become quite experimental.

If you know me, you know I'm a great fan of Asian food. I have eaten it all the world around (except, unfortunately, in Asia. When I was in Singapore* at the age of 11 I ate English food at the Raffles Hotel and Dutch food on the ship). I learned about noodles in Hawaii, where saimin is on the menu at McDonalds and all the cultural edges except your own tend to get a little blurred. Given a recipe, I can follow it .. and if I try to go off the beaten path I still come pretty close.

To be sure, I don't really think I'm that far off base when it comes to my basic idea of 'these noodles are not meant to be eaten plain.' My many ideas for improving the experience are based on what I have seen, with some extrapolation. I know many people eat ramen just as the packet says. They really don't have to do this, and indeed I wish they wouldn't.

In the present global culture, it is my joy to report the presence of CAM in the world. No, I'm not referring to the Cincinnati Art Museum, though that is a wonderful place. I'm talking about the Cincinnati (or Columbus, or Cleveland) Asian Market. This is a tremendous resource, and not just for the immigrant Asian people among us yearning for a taste of home. I love the store. Others do as well:
http://www.huaxin.us/english/news_0E.htm

What you can buy there covers an extremely very wide range. I like the cookware, staples, frozen dumplings, vegetables (cheaper than MLG) and condiments. I steer clear of the candy, toys, and things I wouldn't buy or eat on a bet ('black chicken' comes close, though I tried it once and it wasn't bad. I seriously draw the line at 'frozen pork wombs'). Then there's the other half of the shelf stock that I haven't a clue about, since I can't read the languages.

Something else I like very well at CAM: the absence of Indian foods. Cincinnati hosts many Indian stores to serve our consumers, and I'm certainly one of them. It's just comforting for me to know that I'm not likely to cross that particular international line by accident. I would hate to create, however inadvertently, a dish such as 'kim-chee biryani' and then have to explain it later. That would blow my credibility, such as it is, all away.

INGREDIENTS:
The Basic:
A packet of Ramen noodles
The flavoring envelope that comes in the packet
2C water

condiments***soy sauce
rice wine
sesame oil
fish sauce
five spices powder
ginger
dashi powder (Japanese broth base)
and if you like
cumin
chili
curry powder
sriricha

The range of optional ingredients is huge:protein choiceskamaboko ('krab', fish-cake)
wonton or other dumplings
1 can of protein (tuna, chicken, salmon)
sliced pork or beef
bay scallops
left-over chicken
ground beef
(and, if you want to go out on a limb****)
ham
cheese
bologna*****

vegetable choices:onion
spinach
daikon (Japanese white radish)
bok choy
won bok
and less traditional
turnip
carrot
broccoli
cabbage
garnish:
chopped scallions
sesame seeds
gari ('sushi ginger')
tarako furikake ('preared sesame seed & seaweed'****)

This list is by no means exhaustive. My only advice is that you not go too far in too many directions at once. The add-ins should be tastefully chosen, like Baroque ornaments in the music of Telemann.

My method of preparation is simplicity itself, and bears very little resemblance to the one printed on the back of the packet. One of my goals is to disguise as much water in cooking as I can.******

METHOD:Put two cups of water on to boil
Add any liquid condiments you choose
Put the noodles in the water (which should be getting close to boiling)
Add whatever else you choose
Simmer 5 minutes
Turn off the heat
Add the contents of the flavor packet and stir
Let cool for an additional 5-10 minutes

This recipe makes a single portion, with a variable number of calories and carbs depending on the extras you add. Most of the add-ins do not up the ante a lot, but I do recommend care in their choice.

Balat ng Manok

* The unrepentant home of 'Deep-Fried Chicken Skin' (Balat ng Manok, street food consisting of deep-fried chicken skin breaded with flour, usually dipped in vinegar. Eat your heart out, Colonel Sanders...).
** This was my father's typical lunchtime option.
*** all found in my kitchen on a regular basis .. I can't speak for yours.
**** IMHO the idea of 'Chili Ramen' is fairly adventurous, but with chopped onion, ground beef and shredded cheddar it isn't bad at all.
***** I think that is intended as 'prepared' - it is made by the Futaba Co., Ltd. in Kumamoto, Japan
****** The subject of paying for water in food is another issue, and I really prefer not to go there right now. Let me just say that I don't like paying per-pound meat prices for 'up to 15% of a basting solution added.' I also take a dim view of bacon that has so much water in it that it won't fry, it just sits in the pan and seethes.

Web References:http://www.maruchan.com/index.html
http://www.maruchan.com/recipes_images/maruchan_recipes.pdf
http://www.huaxin.us/english/location_cinE.htm
http://jonography.blogspot.com/2007/08/fried-chicken-skin.html