Konichiwa!

Hello...I am Dracula! I bid you velcome!
(....Well, one of those statements is not entirely true...)

Thank you for stopping by "noms4noobs", your source for gamer grub of many varieties! I wanted a place where I could play with my food before playing with the guild, and show others how to do so as well.
Ever watch an anime and see the cute little Bento (or "Obento") boxes and think, "I wish I could make one..."
Ever look at your dry, ten cent ramen and wonder, "I wish this looked like nommy ramen on TV..."
Do you struggle with having ten minutes or less to make a meal that is mess free for easy gaming?
Are you tired of having your LAN parties being more like LAME parties?
Wonder where to eat when you leave the house?
Then you, my nerdy and or geeky friend, are in luck because you can now has the cheezburger and so much more!
I also want all these things to be fixed, and want to fix few of these things as well! So with my limited sense of humor and clear sense of taste I welcome you to a place where you can read, watch, and learn how to be 0083|2 1337 instead of a |\|008 when it comes to noms~!

Saturday, January 28, 2012

How to Cook: Ramen

When it comes to Ramen people think there is two kinds; The cook Ramen Shop kind, and the gross (in comparison) one you make as home in the microwave when there is nothing else to eat.

But, I say that there is a third! It is the in-between Ramen. You make it at home in a short amount of time, and it tastes very good as well. I have pretty much always been a particular eater when it comes to ramen. I like it to be flavorful, the noodles to not be mushy, and the broth to not taste...starchy. So I came up with a method to make tasty, quick ramen for all of my MSG cravings!



You will need:

- A Pot with a Lid
- A Frying Pan
- A Fork and Chopsticks
- A Bowl for your Ramen


Ingredients:

- Ramen packs (depending on amount of people)
- Olive Oil
- 1 Egg (per person)
- Vegetable of Choice (Squash, Pumpkin, Soy Beans, Greens, mixed veggies, etc. Whatever you like best and have available. )
- Soy Sauce, Meme Sauce (optional), Seasoned Salt (or salt and pepper)
- Meat of choice - Shrimp, beef, chicken, etc. (optional)
- Kimchi or Hot Sauce (optional, for wimps)
- Seasoned Nori Strips (optional)

When it comes to cooking your ramen "fillings" there are many options. I like to have squash, soy beans, or some frozen mixed vegetables in mine. I will use left over meat bits, or thaw some shrimp at times as well. I always try to have egg with it, and I love to put Kimchi and the spicy liquid from Kimchi in mine.


First, fill the pot with water, about an inch from the top, cover it and place on a burner on Med-High.





The way that you make this quickly is that while the water is boiling you cook everything else needed, this also helps for people who have patience issues, when it comes to food, and stare at the pan the whole time (like myself). 










Get out the ramen packs you want to make and take out the solid squares and the packets, leaving the little scrap noodles in the wrappers. Then, set the noodles on top of the package, to keep it clean.





Like so.


(I am cooking for 3 people, with all these fillings you only really need one pack per person.)













Next, take the vegetables you want to put in the ramen and get them chopped or thawed. Take your frying pan and add about a Tablespoon each of Oil, Soy Sauce, and Meme (if you have it), and add about 1/2 Teaspoon Season Salt (or salt and pepper), and if applicable other seasonings you like.





 These are my favorite flavorings, they go well with the ramen so that the taste will "blend" when they are added together. 
















(Yin-Yang?)











Coat the vegetables evenly with the liquid and cook them until tender. (I was making ramen for 3, once again, so there is a lot in my pan.)


Once the vegetables are finished, add the meat to the pan (add more of the sauce mixture if needed) and cook until hot, for leftovers, or...cooked, for raw.









Meanwhile, be keeping an eye on the water. Once it is at a rolling, rapid boil, add the noodles and be stirring apart with a fork (or chopsticks).


Keep the lid off, you are about to use it.












Stir them apart and keep the water on high, the water can stir them itself sometimes if the boil is right.











Add oil to the frying pan and crack your egg(or eggs) into it. Take the lid and "dome" the egg, this cooks it faster and gives an almost poached taste to the top of the fried egg (I called it "Froa-ched").

Once it has cooked a bit add some salt and Soy Sauce to the top, and cover again. Once it is cooked how you like it your noodles should be done!!







As for the noodles, they should be slightly undercooked. You want some chew to them still. Once they are a slight translucent color dump the water, and leave a little so they do not stick.










Now to construct the ramen!

Take out the amount of bowls as needed and empty one sauce packet into each. Add a sprinkle of Soy and Salt to each.



 (If you do not like the sauce packets, use 1/2 Teaspoon Bouillon instead.)


Add desired amount of Hot Water to the bowl. You can microwave it or heat it with a kettle, but I just go for the hottest degree of tap water (it's clean, I live in Colorado). The noodles will also heat the soup.

Stir it up!






Take the Nori, cut it into thin strips, and mix in the soup.






Take your Kinchi (or desired spicy sauce), for those of us who can handle the heat! Add that to the soup.


Do not add it if you are a wimp, and will breath fire like bowser if you add spice to it!



Add the Vegetables and stir.





















Add the noodles and flip it all together. If you would like to add anything else, do that now.
















Last, and certainly not least, add the egg to the top of the ramen, like a tasty crown!












And, Presto! Delicious ramen! 




Now, sit back, and enjoy your ramen! It is so much fun to tell people you are "just making ramen", and then put this in front of them! You will look pretty fancy! 



Enjoying the Noms of their labor, 
-C.A.M.

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