Ramen noodle writing

Never underestimate the value of a Fine Arts education. I don't have one myself, but my stepdaughter does, and I am frequently surprised by how her education has shaped her mind. This Pierre Marchand scupture outside Simard Hall typically has a beer can in its hand. Maybe that's why Simard's other public sculpture tend not to have hands?

Like so many others who have lived through student years, I have eaten my fair share of ramen noodles. They have always been cheaper and easier than Kraft Dinner. For the latter you needed butter, or at least margarine, and milk. The taste was great, but the clean up was more difficult.

But with ramen noodles, you could exercise your creative prerogative a little more, adding an egg and stirring gently to ape Italian stracchiatella (egg drop) soup.
Image result for stracciatella

You could always add chopped green onion or leftover peas and corn, or sliced pork or beef or chicken. And you could experiment with the soup, mixing packets or making your own. And then there was the issue of al dente--which varied by the boiling point of the water and therefore how far you were above sea level. No matter the brand, the package always says to cook for 2 to 3 minutes and to avoid overcooking. Ninety seconds would be a better mark to aim for, less in soft water or when you are cooking nearer sea level.

Of course, with ramen, post cooking, there is always the option of skipping the soup and making yakisoba, or stir fried noodles.

Image result for broken dry ramen noodles

Either way, a cheap feast.

And as I am of a certain generation, I won't go into microwave options, or styrofoam cup of soup options, which may be toxic in any number of ways.

Image result for making ramen in the microwave

So it was with surprise, and a bit of a grin, that I learned from my stepdaughter that Chinese calligraphy is done with random bits of ramen noodles.

I imagine she was only joking, but it gave me pause to think of ways in which I may have inadvertently been consuming Alpha-ghetti, without even taking the time to spell a word on my spoon.

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