just because i eat ramen doesn't mean i can't cook! (sort of...)

now is really not the time to be doing this. i should be writing my speech for a competition i'm in next week. or i should be writing my novel. or i should be taking a nap.

but i'm not one to exercise self-control.

so let's talk about how to take ordinary instant ramen and make it awesome!

1) buy the right ramen. try out different varieties until you find which one you like the best. buying bad noodles just to save 50 cents is silly. but you shouldn't have to pay more than $1.00 for a decent noodle/soup combo.

note: packages with two or more flavor packets are usually a sign of good ramen.

2) buy some extra goodies. this time around i used the following:

豆腐 (tofu). firmness depends on personal preference. just remember that soft/silken tofu won't be easy to pick up with chopsticks.

椎茸 (shiitake). most types of mushrooms will work in ramen. fresh are the tastiest, but frozen or dried will also work.

わかめ (wakame). this a type of seaweed. very healthy, very delicious, and very inexpensive.

キムチ (kimchi). this adds a kick and a contrasting texture. the best stuff is homemade, so i'd recommend making some korean friends.

油揚げ (aburaage). i think the english term for this is "fried tofu skin". it's often used in miso soup. i absolutely love this stuff!

other good fixins: eggs (hard-boiled, soft-boiled, or egg-drop-style), green onions, spinach, strips of meat (chicken, pork, beef), shrimp, soybean sprouts, corn, cabbage, and whatever else tickles your fancy.

note: some of these items can be hard to find outside of japan. your best bet is to find a nearby japanese or korean market.

3) preparation. know what you're doing. some things do well in boiling water for long periods of time, but most things don't. try to time when you add the ingredients, so that everything will taste it's best. DO NOT, DO NOT, DO NOT overcook the noodles! here's, let's look at how i did it:

add a large bowl's worth of water to the pot. throw in the dehydrated goods (wakame and mushrooms) and turn on the heat. cut the aburaage:

throw it into the pot. the water should be close to boiling.

while waiting for a rolling boil, cut the tofu and put in the bowl (the one used for measuring water earlier):

once the water is boiling, throw in the noodles. with a pot full of the goodies, the noodles might not submerge. don't worry—we'll flip 'em. extra points if you can do it with cooking chopsticks. flip those noodles:

different noodles have different cooking times. generally the best taste/texture is achieved by cooking just to the point when the curls have all become nearly straight. if you're unsure, it's better to undershoot the cooking time than overshoot it. the noodles will continue to soften even after removed from the heat.

pour everything over the tofu in the bowl. tofu is safe to eat as is—and it helps cool down the ramen to perfect eating temperature. as does the kimchi. finally, add the soup base and mix well. add extra water from the faucet if too much boiled out. if you've done it all right, the ramen will be delicious and just cool enough to eat really fast without burning yourself. it may look something like this:

ok, so my food has never been much on the presentation front. :-/ but it was super tasty! and really cheap. taking into account the ingredients and amounts, the whole meal cost under ¥225 (about $3.00).

have ramen ideas of your own? i'd love to hear 'em! happy bargain cooking and leave a comment!