So people say that your favorite Beatle or Ninja Turtle says a lot about you. So i figure, the way you eat Ramen Noodles may say a lot about you too.
How do you prepare you Ramen?
I crush mine into little pieces in the bag, empty into bowl, add exactly enough water for it all to absorbed, microwave it until it all is absorbed, add two dallops of butter and seasoning. serve hot enought to burn you. i call this the perfect consistancy, soft and mushy enough that you don't need teeth and it can just slide down your throat.
Posted by Primal Curve (Member # 3587) on :
Ramen Noodles = Disgusting Ramen Noodles = High Sodium Garbage Ramen Noodles = Too cheap not to eat when poor.
Posted by Infrared (Member # 9196) on :
Paul & Don.
Ramen I prepare by following the directions (to a point). Often, frozen or fresh veggies go into the water before it boils. Kamaboko (little pink-edged white fishcake slices if you've ever had Japanese-style Ramen) or ham or BBQ pork (char-siu) make good flavor additions if you've got some extra minced or chopped in the fridge/freezer. Green onions are key as the finishing touch if you haven't added veggies.
When feeling lazy, two packages of noodles, boiled, one flavor pack (both is usually disgusting).
Posted by The Pixiest (Member # 1863) on :
I dunno what it is about ramen... what ingredient that vexes me... but I get terribly ill when I eat it =(
Posted by Celaeno (Member # 8562) on :
Let's skip the ramen and have saimin instead.
Posted by MandyM (Member # 8375) on :
I love ramen noodles!
I crush them into tiny pieces. Put them in a bowl and fill to just higher than the noodles. Microwave. Add seasoning packet. Add an ice cube or two. Stir and eat. Burn my tongue. Always.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
They're also good with ketchup and a dash of Worchestershire sauce.
Posted by Kristen (Member # 9200) on :
Wow, this bring backs memories of high school (boarding school, no food accessible after 9:30pm). We all had hot water heaters and it was either ramen or Easy Mac.
I think I just dumped in the noodles and then the packet. Sigh, utterly uncreative. I'm such a bad cook, even my Ramen is boring.
Posted by libertygirl (Member # 8761) on :
Ramen noodles have been my favorite food for as long as I can remember. I prepare them by boiling water, then putting the noodles in the water, then when the noodles are wonderfully soft I put them into a bowl with just enough water and add the sauce. I can NOT eat ramen noodles without cheese. American or cheddar it just makes it so much better. = D
Posted by Celaeno (Member # 8562) on :
In elementary school I used to crush it in the bag, mix in the flavoring, and eat it raw.
Posted by sweetbaboo (Member # 8845) on :
When I was in High School and needed a quick snack before after school practice, I would break them up in the bag and just eat the noodles dry.
Edit to add: no seasoning Celaeno, that's pretty gross
[ March 02, 2006, 06:46 PM: Message edited by: sweetbaboo ]
Posted by Risuena (Member # 2924) on :
quote:Originally posted by libertygirl: I prepare them by boiling water, then putting the noodles in the water, then when the noodles are wonderfully soft I put them into a bowl with just enough water and add the sauce. I can NOT eat ramen noodles without cheese. American or cheddar it just makes it so much better. = D
I do this but instead of cheese, I eat it with an over-easy egg (runny yolk and all) that gets broken apart into the noodles. Sometimes I'll add veggies.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Ever stirfry them with the egg, Rusuena?
I don't eat ramen, but I do eat various flavors of Mama noodles, which are ramen[/i]ish[/i]. How I prepare them varies depending on my mood though.
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
I just make it the normal way. But I don't like the cheap ramen but the good Japanese kind like Ichiban... I don't bother to drink the broth. People in Japan would frown at me, but I do not care.
Posted by Risuena (Member # 2924) on :
Noemon - No, I haven't. I'll have to keep that in mind the next time I'm int he mood for ramen.
Posted by signal (Member # 6828) on :
My roommate and I in college used to make this Ramen concoction all the time. We'd start by cooking the ramen with slighty less water than required. Then when it was about done, we'd add a can of mixed veggies and some microwaved hotdogs that were cut up into bite-sized pieces. Also added were a couple slices of cheese and a good mix of whatever spices we had laying around.
We made it up one night when we were too lazy to go out and the aforementioned ingredients were all that remained in the kitchen. Turned out so good that it became a regular thing at our place.
We used to experiment with food and cooking all the time. Too much Food Network maybe. We also made grilled cheese with an iron. I recommend having a can of butter spray handy so it doesn't stick to the iron. Oh, and make sure its empty of all the water... not that I would know anything about that. Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
quote:a can of mixed veggies
You ate canned mixed veggies? Why on earth? Didn't you have a freezer? Posted by Carrie (Member # 394) on :
Ick ick ick!
So what does not even coming within 10 feet of ramen noodles say about me?
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Either you're really picky, allergic to wheat, or you've never had them made right?
There are lots of things you can do with them; I usually avoid the seasoning packets.
Posted by signal (Member # 6828) on :
quote:Originally posted by ketchupqueen:
quote:a can of mixed veggies
You ate canned mixed veggies? Why on earth? Didn't you have a freezer?
Or maybe they were frozen? I don't remember. The point was that they were mixed veggies. It's not like we were broke or anything. We both had jobs and lived rather well for students. I guess it was the novelty of making it. Besides, that was quite a step for me. At the time, my motto for food was basically, "It can't be good unless its fried. And if its fried, it must be good." Haha. Mind you my eating habits have changed quite a bit since then, and for the better I might add.
Posted by lem (Member # 6914) on :
I start of with Shin Ramen and Gochujang. I cook the ramen with too little water. I cook two bags with a can of tuna, an egg, green onions, and kimchi. When it is done I add a few drops of seasame oil, some more kimchi, and I put it into a large bowl with shredded cheese on the bottom.
I then add a big tablespoon of gochujang and mix it all together. mmmmm...spicy warm goodness. I think I will make some tonight!
Posted by Amanecer (Member # 4068) on :
I usually boil the noodles, drain the water and add like 1/5 of the seasoning. Good stuff! Posted by Glenn Arnold (Member # 3192) on :
quote:I dunno what it is about ramen... what ingredient that vexes me... but I get terribly ill when I eat it =(
Probably monosodium glutamate
Posted by Chungwa (Member # 6421) on :
I eat ramen a couple times a week. I'll start by mincing some garlic and sticking it on a skillet with some oil, then I'll cook the ramen, strain it and add it to the skillet. Add some frozen corn and whatever other frozen veggies I've got and some cut mushrooms then I'll add a little tamari or shoyu. Sometimes I put a half a teaspoon of chili paste in the mix. It tastes pretty good and doesn't take much time at all.
Posted by Goody Scrivener (Member # 6742) on :
I make 2 or 3 packets at a time with about half the total amount of water it calls for - I eyeball this. Serve out for the kids, then add 2 or 3 raw beaten eggs to what's left in the pot and mix those in well, and continue to cook it till the eggs are cooked through. I don't bother with veggies or other meats or extra seasonings. Oh, and always chicken ramen, never beef or any other variety.
Posted by beverly (Member # 6246) on :
They are great crushed up and roasted in an oriental cabbage salad that I make.
If I bother to have "normal" ramen, I stir an egg into the simmering broth.
Posted by xxsockeh (Member # 9186) on :
It's not that I don't like ramen - I really do. I just never seem to buy it...I don't know why.
Posted by Uprooted (Member # 8353) on :
I haven't eaten ramen in years, but it was a staple when I was in college. My boyfriend at the time thought it was disgusting, but I didn't care--I liked it! And I'm sorry, but someone who eats "potted meat product" (or something like that) on bread doesn't have a whole lot of room to call my ramen noodles disgusting, IMHO!
I would make it just plain w/ half a seasoning packet, or sometimes used the simmering egg and/or frozen veggies methods mentioned.
And it IS great as a crunchy item in the salads a couple of you described. As a matter of fact, I think I might have to go buy myself a couple packages of the stuff!
Posted by sarcasticmuppet (Member # 5035) on :
I cook it for exactly 2 minutes, not a second longer. Then I drain away the boiling water and add the seasoning packet (Chicken is my flavor of choice). Yummy! Once in a while I add a mixed-up egg at the end and keep the broth -- instant egg drop soup!
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Anybody else have ramen for dinner as a result of this thread?
Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
I'm ABOUT to have ramen for dinner as a result of this thread, I think...
When I make ramen, I crush it up into little pieces inside the bag, dump it out, add just enough water, microwave, drain, and then sprinkle lightly with the seasoning packet.
Sometimes I add soy sauce.
Worchestershire sounds good!
Hmmm...maybe I'll have this "Asian garlic chicken noodle" concoction...it looks like high-class ramen to me.
I just need to add some butter...
-pH
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
...or diced avocado.
Posted by jennabean (Member # 8590) on :
Oooh I second Celaeno's raw saimin. But after you reach a certain age it kind of loses its appeal.
Now, I eat just the noodles (no soup!) with eggs and lots of Tabasco or chili water. Those little packets are gross!
Posted by Eaquae Legit (Member # 3063) on :
Am I the only one who eats it as a soup? "Oriental" or "vegetable" flavoured, enough water to make it soupy, boiled till they're soft, eaten before the noodles soak up all the water and go mushy and gross.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
quote:Originally posted by Noemon: Anybody else have ramen for dinner as a result of this thread?
They're finishing cooking (the eggs need to set) now.
Posted by jennabean (Member # 8590) on :
quote:Originally posted by Eaquae Legit: Am I the only one who eats it as a soup?
Now what does that say about you? And what on earth does how I eat my noodles say about me? I am dry and spicy?
Posted by Coccinelle (Member # 5832) on :
I only eat ramen when part of cabbage salad:
1 head of cabbage thinly sliced (or a bag of coleslaw mix) 2 pkgs crushed ramen noodles 4 cooked chicken tenders green onions
Dressing: vinegar (white wine vinegar is the best) oil sugar soy sauce ramen flavoring packets pepper nutmeg
Best if it sits overnight.
Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
Over at the Shvester house, we've been feeling a little poor, lately. We've been eating lots of brown rice and beans, cornmeal mush (polenta) and beans, pasta and beans, with just enough veggies to keep everything healthy.
So far, we have escaped the Ramen dinners. I don't look forward to serving that up to my family and telling them that it is a nutritious food.
I think I may just be an anti-Ramenite.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Tante, you should check out the link I posted. There's some really cool stuff you can do with ramen.
Posted by Friday (Member # 8998) on :
Are ramen and saimin actualy two different things? I tend to use the two words interchangably, but then again I am no cullinary expert.
I like my noodles uncrushed with the whole packet of seasoning added once the noodles have finished cooking.
On a related note, what utensil do you use to eat your ramen/saimin? I generaly use a fork; with a spoon I find the noodles tend to fall off halfway between the bowl and my face.
Posted by Rappin' Ronnie Reagan (Member # 5626) on :
I used to eat ramen a lot when I was away at college, but I've never really had a desire to try it since then, and I cringe whenever I look at the sodium content in it. However, a while back I bought some Thai noodles that were in a pack a lot like ramen, and they were really good. I like rice noodles a lot more than I do ramen.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
quote:On a related note, what utensil do you use to eat your ramen/saimin? I generaly use a fork; with a spoon I find the noodles tend to fall off halfway between the bowl and my face.
...chopsticks. What else?
Posted by Uprooted (Member # 8353) on :
quote:Originally posted by Tante Shvester:
I think I may just be an anti-Ramenite.
Tante, you haven't been reading the Book of Mormon, have you? That totally sounds like a Book of Mormon term, LOL! (in case you have no idea what I'm talking about, there are groups of people called Nephites, Lamanites, "and all manner of ites"--yes, that last part is a direct quote--and one group of converted Lamanites gave themselves the name "anti-Nephi-Lehies")
Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
quote:Originally posted by Uprooted: Tante, you haven't been reading the Book of Mormon, have you?
Not yet.
quote:"and all manner of ites"
I like that term! Maybe I'm a termite.
Posted by Dan_raven (Member # 3383) on :
I don't eat Ramen noodles, but I knew I had reached the true "Back Country" when I heard the following on the radio..."IGA is have'n a sale on Raymond Noodles"
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
quote:Originally posted by Tante Shvester: Not yet.
O_o
Do you need three days to think it over?
Posted by Juxtapose (Member # 8837) on :
quote:Posted by Celaeno: In elementary school I used to crush it in the bag, mix in the flavoring, and eat it raw.
Heck yeah!
quote:Posted by Friday: Are ramen and saimin actualy two different things? I tend to use the two words interchangably, but then again I am no cullinary expert.
When I think ramen, I think 12.5 cents a pack. When I think saimin, I think restaurant style. Preferably with shoyu and hot mustard.
For ramen, I like S&S brand. The noodles are thicker and chewier, and it makes a broth about 80 times better. I guess they only sell it in Hawai'i, though, because even google search only turns up a few articles that mention it in passing.
On a side note, I feel like I should plug Asian soup spoons. They hold more than regular spoons, and the angled handle makes it easier to get that last bit o' broth out of the bowl. If they made spork varieties, I would use no other utensil.
Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
Okay, my Pastaroni Asian Garlic Chicken Noodles, also known as high-class ramen, came out quite nicely with eggs and teryaki sauce.
Also, I don't think I followed the directions at all.
But really, isn't that the true life purpose of ramen? Surely, the Lord hath placed it upon this earth so that college students may make use of its infinite versatility.
-pH
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
RRR, I prefer rice noodles as well (although my absolute favorite is bean thread noodles). Those Thai Kitchen varieties are hidiously overpriced though. Go to a local Asian grocery store and get some rice noodle based instant soups there, that's my advice. Among my favorites are:
Rice Vermicelli: Clear Soup (second row, first packet)
Bean Thread Noodles: Clear Soup Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
I like instant noodles. Like Chef Woo.
Posted by Maria (Member # 9209) on :
MSG might be a neurotoxin.(google it!) Ramen noodles have high levels of MSG. They are not good for you, and have no redeeming qualities whatsoever.
Posted by Juxtapose (Member # 8837) on :
Actually, I'm pretty sure that the flavor packets have high levels of MSG. I don't think the noodles themselves are guilty of this.
Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
Doesn't MSG have addictive properties?
Mmmmm...neurotoxic noodlecrack...
-pH
Posted by Celaeno (Member # 8562) on :
quote:Originally posted by Maria: Ramen noodles have high levels of MSG. They are not good for you, and have no redeeming qualities whatsoever.
I don't know, Maria...being delicious is a pretty redeeming quality to me.
Seriously, though, if I'm not mistaken, there is no conclusive evidence that MSG is bad for you. The only reason why cheap Chinese restaurants put big "NO MSG" signs up is that a lot of people are allergic to it. I could be completely wrong on this.
Posted by Sterling (Member # 8096) on :
Omit the flavor packet, dose with oluve oil, red wine vinegar, and parmesan cheese.
or, mongolian fire oil, soy sauce, ginger, and frozen veggies.
But I must confess that I haven't eaten ramen since college. Found a dead mealworm in a package, and it kind of put me off them.
Posted by Juxtapose (Member # 8837) on :
Similar things have happened to me, Sterling. It's why I don't eat most vegetables.
Edited for notungoodless grammar.
Posted by sweetbaboo (Member # 8845) on :
Hi Maria.
When I was on the South Beach Diet for awhile, MSG was forbidden. Isn't it basically a processed something from the sugar beet? (I don't have time to google it sorry but that's what I remember)
Posted by Celaeno (Member # 8562) on :
Yeah, I just did that google search, and most of the hits that show up (like the one from the FDA) say something along the lines of "MSG and related substances are safe food ingredients for most people when eaten at customary levels."
Posted by Sterling (Member # 8096) on :
quote:Originally posted by Juxtapose: Similar things have happened to me, Sterling. It's why I don't eat most vegetables.
Edited for notungoodless grammar.
Yeah, haven't been able to eat a dead mealworm since. All those noodles- eugh.
Posted by Carrie (Member # 394) on :
quote:Originally posted by pH: Doesn't MSG have addictive properties?
Mmmmm...neurotoxic noodlecrack...
-pH
*snicker*
Good thing I'm keeping away from the evilness that is the neurotoxic noodlecrack.
Posted by Stan the man (Member # 6249) on :
Like a few others here, I'll eat the noodles raw and crushed most of the time. The other times I actually cook it. Nothing special with it. After all, if I had the money to add little special things into it, why am I eating Ramen?
I have to eat it more or less. Only thing cheap enough to fit in my current budget. BJ's has the boxes of Ramen (36 in a box) going for about 3 bucks.
Posted by Maria (Member # 9209) on :
One of my teenagers started having memory problems when she was eating a ramen noodle thing a day during the summer, and I eventually got a book on the MSG controversy, and although I'm not totally convinced it's as bad as they make it sound, the book made me wary enough that I avoid things that have high levels of MSG, and certainly don't get them for my kids any more. However much they beg!
Lots of stuff has MSG in it, it's almost impossible to completely avoid. It's really just the massive levels in some products that worry me.
And the dead meal worms some of you found in the noodles just indicates to me that the noodle side doesn't have enough nutrition in it to keep a bug alive! Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
Nah, it died from a CVA induced by sodium-sensitive hypertension.
Translation: it was the salt.
Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :
Was he even sure it was dead, could it have been in a weird molting phase? I used to purposefully keep live mealworms in my fridge.
Posted by Sterling (Member # 8096) on :
The mealworm in question was either entirely dessicated, or had actually been through the noodle-frying process. I'm *quite* sure it was dead.
Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :
I have to say, I'd rather dead than alive. But you know, i don't like living bugs.
Posted by Rappin' Ronnie Reagan (Member # 5626) on :
quote:Originally posted by Noemon: RRR, I prefer rice noodles as well (although my absolute favorite is bean thread noodles). Those Thai Kitchen varieties are hidiously overpriced though. Go to a local Asian grocery store and get some rice noodle based instant soups there, that's my advice. Among my favorites are:
Rice Vermicelli: Clear Soup (second row, first packet)
The $3.50 is for four of those packets, so it's only around 88 cents per packet. I was surprised at the price, too, until I noticed the small print about that being the price for four rather than one. Thanks for the recommendations, though. I'll have to go to the store this weekend and see what I can find.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
My sister and her friend found meal worms in Reese's Peanut Butter Cups once...
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
That's a better deal than I'd remembered! I'll have to try more of them.
Most of the soups I linked to are around $.40/packet when purchased individually, or significantly cheaper when purchased in bulk.
Hope you like some of them.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
While we're on the subject of cheap asian foods, Korean snack foods are AWESOME. And they have those really neat plum candies at the store I go to, too.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
The battered fried peas are pretty tasty. I haven't had the plum candies though. You don't happen to remember their name do you?
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Since I don't speak or read Korean, no... The English translation just says "Plum Candies". It has pictures of plums and plum blossoms on a white bag, if that helps.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
I'll see if I can find them next time I'm at the store.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
This thread has done it. My late-night craving concoction tonight is: a package of ramen (noodles broken just in half) with about 1 cup of water (half the amount called for) and about a cup of frozen broccoli, with a splash of vinegar (for both flavor and color) in the microwave (covered.) When it's cooked, I'll add some soy sauce, a little Worchestershire (out of Nam Pla), a bit of sugar, and maybe a sprinkle, just a sprinkle, of the spicy seasoning from the packet (that's the flavor on this one: "spicy".) Maybe not. Maybe I'll go with some other flavoring instead.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to it. Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Sounds good, kq!
Posted by vonk (Member # 9027) on :
ok, so maybe how you eat ramen noodles doesn't say that much about you. or maybe it does. it may say how much of a health nut you are, or how much money you have, or how lazy or creative you are, or how familiar you are with obscure spices and asian food-stuffs. or maybe not.
i really dig the egg idea, i don't know why i haven't thought of that. next time.
sometimes i'll make 2 bags, drain, add a can of cream of mushroom and a can of tuna and mix well. good god thats yummy.
Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
Yuck. Posted by lem (Member # 6914) on :
quote: Since I don't speak or read Korean, no...
I do...or at least I did at one time. I assume you are referring to ja-du candy. I love kwa-ja!!!!
"Kwa-ja" means junk food. In Konglish it is usually used to refer to Korean junk food--which is AWSOME. I miss it. I am a fan of strawberry french pies, choco-pies , and peperos.
My favorite candy is a chocolate ring chip thingy that I can't find a picture of.
EDIT: I should point out that "kwa-ja" means junk food like chips, biscuits, and other snack food. It doesn't refer to fast food or any type of junk meal. Hmm...maybe "snack food" is a better translation.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
That's the stuff! Thanks!
I don't like the choco-pies much, but I'm a big fan of peperos! When I was little I used to trade my fruit snacks for shrimp fries. (Of course, I outgrew my taste for seafood at about age 10, so not a big fan anymore.)
Posted by lem (Member # 6914) on :
Two things I never aquired a taste for are rose flavored gum and amy sea food flavored fries. For those who have not had them, we are talking about fungion type chips that are either shrimp, crab, or fish flavored.
Seriously...rose and perfumed flavored gum? Who came up with that idea? Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Well, since rose water is a popular ingredient in pastries, sweets, and desserts in several parts of the world, it makes sense to me.
I like rose-flavored candy, personally. And I cook with rose water sometimes, too. But then, I was caught young. Posted by Jhai (Member # 5633) on :
One month last year I went through a phase of eating raw ramen with smooth peanut butter spread over it. I ate a LOT of ramen that way. I've never craved it since...
Now I tend to either have my ramen bland, with just enough water to cook the noodles, or as more of a soup mixture, with frozen vegis, meatballs, and lots of spices and hot sauce mixed in.
Posted by lem (Member # 6914) on :
quote:So people say that your favorite Beatle or Ninja Turtle says a lot about you. So i figure, the way you eat Ramen Noodles may say a lot about you too.
Is there anyone who is qualified to go back and analyze the personalities of those who posted how they eat Raman noodles?
Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
If anyone is, I'd guess Bob. He does ice cream; perhaps he can do nasty noodles, too.
![[Eek!]](eek.gif)
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
![[Dont Know]](graemlins/dontknow.gif)
I don't remember. The point was that they were mixed veggies. It's not like we were broke or anything. We both had jobs and lived rather well for students. I guess it was the novelty of making it. Besides, that was quite a step for me. At the time, my motto for food was basically, "It can't be good unless its fried. And if its fried, it must be good." Haha. Mind you my eating habits have changed quite a bit since then, and for the better I might add.
![[Embarrassed]](redface.gif)
I just never seem to buy it...I don't know why.
![[Taunt]](graemlins/taunt.gif)
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
![[Wave]](graemlins/wave.gif)
Hi Maria.![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
I'll have to go to the store this weekend and see what I can find.
![[Frown]](frown.gif)
![[Angst]](graemlins/angst.gif)