ramen

My breakthrough happened when I stopped thinking in terms of which ingredients should I add to my ramen, and instead began looking at a package of instant ramen as itself an ingredient, a raw material to be used in the creation of a truly unique bowl of noodle soup.

Growing up, stir-fry was the veggie-disposal method of choice in my family.  These days I prefer a packet of quality ramen noodles. Especially in summer, when the additional hydration is crucial.  And if the broth is spicy, you’ll find yourself coated in a refreshing layer of sweat — befitting a hot summer ramence. 

“You gotta have ramen,” writes Gustavo Alvarez, author of the Prison Ramen Cookbook. His instant ramen-based recipes include the likes of the Prison Burrito, Prison Tamale, Ramen Salad, Ramen Sandwich, and Orange Cracklin Ramen (with pork rinds and orange Kool-Aid).

Last summer, I bought a pile of bitter eggplant at the farmers market. I’d never heard of it, but the green, red, yellow and orange wrinkled spheres drew me in, and the farmer, and immigrant from the Laotian mountains, sealed the deal.

Perhaps it’s because I empathize with the egg, caged like a bird in its own home. Or maybe it’s because I am feeling broody, like a hen with nothing to incubate, and so the image of the egg sitting so perfectly in its nest brings comfort. Or maybe it’s that my chickens started laying again, and it’s a delicious meal. Either way, egg-in-a-nest is the official dish of my 2020 house arrest.