I never knew about the one pound sacks, that will be handy seeing as I had the Buldok spicy on Wednesday night, and another brand I can’t recall the name of but called it volcano and very spicy on the package. I chose those as I had a 4 lb napa cabbage, some baby bok choys, dried black mushrooms, and stuff like that to add. I put in a LOT of vegetables because I knew they could stand up to the spice and I like veggies. I added bunches of chicken to each of them. The volcano one last night, I did end up adding a packet of nissen Top Ramen chicken flavor to tone it down and it was much less spicy then the spicy (red package) Buldok. I ate about half and froze the rest for when it is too hot to cook anything. My husband had a huge plastic bin dedicated to the various ramens, he would eat them with raw-ish egg and sometimes spam (he got into that in Japan). I was surprised that the salt content didn’t seem all that high, maybe because I put in probably 1 1/2 lbs of veggies per pot for just me (cooked down, not crunchy). I feel this is a great way to get veggies in us when we are stuck not wanting more salads and stir fries. I need to get another canister of the black mushrooms though, they last for year and add so much to the soups. Bobbi in So Cal.
Welcome aboard the Ramen Express!
YES! I have two of these puppies in my crisper drawer right now that I bought for ramen.
I eyed the Napa cabbage at the store, but the heads were huge. Does Napa keep as well as a tight head of green cabbage? It takes me at least four meals to get through even a small regular cabbage.
I got that napa cabbage 2 weeks ago, and for the first 5 (yes, you read that right) days it was in a paper bag on the kitchen floor because it was soooo huge and that night it was about 90 degrees in the house when I got home at 8:30pm , so I wasn’t going to move a lot of food around in the garage fridge; I had also bought a head of cauliflower, and 2 bags each of broccoli crowns on sale for a buck a pound, way cheaper than usual, and I ton of other things. When I woke up Saturday I had 4 bags of mostly cruciferous veggies on the kitchen floor and gradually over days I moved them into the garage fridge, so yes, I would say the lifespan of the napa cabbage will be very good for you, assuming you put things away as you get them. I lost my husband suddenly, unexpectedly last year and with not driving since 2018 I had to get rides when I could get them and some weeks I was mostly veggie less except for my cabbage and carrots. I like to add the napa cabbage because as a teen my mom would use that in lieu of lettuce in salads, and I use it in a lot of Asian dishes. I have eaten 4 dishes myself just in the past 4 days with that napa cabbage and I am not tired of it one bit. I did end up freezing a lot of the cauliflower and broccoli but I don’t think I will need to do that with the napa cabbage. I got the biggest one I could find. I sound like an ad for eating more veggies! OH and the baby bok choys were on the floor 2 days and fared fairly well considering, but the last one I ate last night had 2 leaves starting to yellow… Bobbi in So Cal.
Oh honey, I am so, so sorry to hear that. I am a widow myself but for many years. Those first few months and even the first few years, it can be very disorienting just getting through daily life. I cooked all the time when my husband was alive, so even going to the grocery store was a very emotional and trying experience for me. He liked the way I fixed broccoli, so I would stand in Whole Foods in front of the broccoli and just choke back tears. Take care. It does get easier to bear, but, frankly, it takes a long time. I always told myself, billions and billions of people have gotten through this, and if they can do it, I can do it.
Haven’t tried those, but other than the aforementioned usual ingredients for ramen, I’ll sometimes add bean sprouts for a crunchy texture. They don’t look as nutritious as green leafy vegs, but apparently have a lot of vitamins, and the taste and texture is pretty good.
I only buy them occasionally as they have a very short shelf life, and they come in fairly big bags, so most of it ends up wasted. But it’s an interesting addition to ramen once in a while.
I know! I love bean sprouts but have never come close to finishing a ginormous bag. It’s pretty easy to grow your own in a jar with a piece of net or cheesecloth over the top…
It truly is easy–you just have to rinse them once a day and keep them in a darkish place like in a cupboard or under the sink. Once they get started, the smell in the jar is divine–like all the green, grassy fields of heaven. You can use different seeds or a mixture but they should be organic seeds for sprouting-- broccoli, clover, red radish, and/or alfalfa seeds.
As for the baby bok choys, what I plan to do is cut off the chunky bottoms and stir fry those to soften a bit and then add the already-soft tops into the broth.
I saw a tasty-looking hack on Mike Chen’s channel the other day: instead of water and the flavor packet use the consomé from Trader Joe’s Birria.
I suppose you could use chicken stock or broth if you want to improve your ramen recipe. Really there’s lots of ways to make it your own.
I say add stock (homemade ideally) but I’m hesitant to do purchased broth or stock because now you’re going from sodium explosion to sodium nuclear meltdown. The same way I feel guilty when I add some nice miso paste to my packet as another way to turn up the flavor, or any of the granulated dashi options.
Of course, simmering a big handful of benito shavings to the simmering water prior to making the ramen… well, that I only hold back on because of cost.
Oh, sugarplum. I hate to say it, but you have company around here, not that any us wanted to join that particular demographic.
You’re cordially invited to vent, ask questions, be bewildered, and possibly, find amusement & learn some stuff.
But … but then what goes on the birria?
You are so right about choking back tears in the produce aisle, we loved to cook for each other and the list i found on him showed the meal he was planning on making us. My husband loved my broccoli too, and we devoured brussels sprouts, which was funny as both our moms made the most awful sprouts as we were young. I considered putting some of mine in my ramen, I like it that much. Thank you very much for your kind thoughts .
Thank you Purplehorshoe, it must be us that need the ramen because it is hard to cook for one that makes us use that as a go-to comfort food. .. Do you have a grief support board to recommend so we don’t clog the ramen boards, I would like to reach out.
BLONDABEAR: regarding birria, when you make it you serve it actually with tortillas usually and leave broth behind. I use the broth made from Costco rotisserie chickens for ramen a lot of times, sometimes I add carrots celery and onions in the incipient broth, some times other things. The Asians don’t flavor their broth the way European do and I was taught European seasoning by my parents. I don’t make birria; there are probably more than 15 taco shops within a mile, or could be more. I even found my own homemade rolled tacos are not as flavorful, even though I usually can spice things up a lot.
My mom back in the 60s and 70s had sprouters on the counter going all year long. Most the time it was alfalfa sprouts for tuna salads and tacos, but I used to make bean sprouts too for my stir fries and my egg fu yung which my parents really liked and liked that I enjoyed making exotic things. Dad was in the navy so had traveled to the East a lot, and Mom being mostly raised in California gained an appreciation for all the veggies we have out here. I grew sprouts too, I used the sprouting pans (plastic, with dividers and a bottom like a colander, which is also useful, and I did that for several times). To keep from making more purchases, a colandar lined with paper towels or kitchen towels works. In my hot house I don;t make sprounts from March until after November, they will ferment, you would normally rinse the sprouts first thing in the morning, then a couple. times during the day and then again before you go to bed. In a hot hitchen they grow too quickly and get lanky so you have to use them fast and they won’t be thick and watery. They are still high in proteins and are good for you . I would try them off and on in the fridge if I had the room. Anything can go in ramen I think and this would mimic the noodles and should blend in.
I don’t usually make birria tacos, instead I use the meat in burritos and the leftover consomé for ramen or as an au jus for sourdough bread
Warning
When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat which doesn’t go, and doesn’t suit me.
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
And satin sandals, and say we’ve no money for butter.
I shall sit down on the pavement when I’m tired
And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
And run my stick along the public railings
And make up for the sobriety of my youth.
I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
And pick flowers in other people’s gardens
And learn to spit.
You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat
And eat three pounds of sausages at a go
Or only bread and pickle for a week
And hoard pens and pencils and beermats and things in boxes.
But now we must have clothes that keep us dry
And pay our rent and not swear in the street
And set a good example for the children.
We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.
But maybe I ought to practise a little now?
So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised
When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple.
--Jenny Joseph
Hehe. Are you the one who put the camera in my apartment?
I buy boxes of it
I’ve been politely but urgently requested to stop suggesting “There aint no Mie, Like Soto-Mie!” as a slogan
Just found out about this website. Haven’t had a chance to browse it yet, but it looks like a good place to waste spend some time.
I actually meant the frozen packages of shrimp
So, this is going to wait for tomorrow, but I’m gonna have a hell of a tonkatsu ramen. Tomorrow, because it’s supposed to be rainy/snowy (hopefully, we need the water!) with highs around 49Fail units. I have some sapporo ichiban tonkatsu (always hardest to source for reasons), and some freshly smoked pork tenderloin. My father in law finished a batch of smoking around 8pm last night, so I have some cheaper point cut brisket, some ribs, and a pork tenderloin now sitting in my fridge and freezer.
I’ll start with the package, add thinly sliced green onions, some thinly sliced red birds eye chiles and jalapenos (both for heat and color), a few dried shitakes (guilt free msg!), and then the smoked tenderloin sliced into small disks.
I may have to skip dinner to make the calories work!