Mom, You're Always "Doing the Most"

Indomie Stir Fry Noodle Bowl with Fish Cake

 Our family has grown to know and love Ramen in all its familiar complexities.  As our awareness of the beauty in other cultures bloomed, Asian cuisine in particular, our palettes for better and better ingredients also grew.  At one point, during the what we thought was the apex of the pandemic, last summer,  I amassed in excess of 23+ different types of Ramen, from many cultures including Japan, China, Korea and even Indonesia. They all have their nuances and characteristics we adore, and we consumed different brands and styles, depending on our moods.  

Most of the time, the fiery versions took the forefront, though some days, for reasons of our gastrointestinal health and our overall feelings, we would opt for the toned down varieties like Chow Mein, Teriyaki and basic beef, chicken, or my personal favorite, Kimchi, which is an amazing dish of fermented Napa Cabbage, full of vinegariness, packed with heat and ginger, and tangy, crunchy goodness!  Nongshim makes my favorite Kimchi flavored noodles. 

Normally, we would consume our Ramen with only the provided accouterments, if any and would dive in with our personal pairs of chopsticks.  At this point in the game, we have evolved to creating the Noodle Bowl at times, turning the snack between meals into an actual meal.  We have a new favorite place to dine, Saigon Palace, where we partake in delicious Bahn Mi sandwiches, both classic and chicken and the smooth and unctuous pate, plus succulent pork belly or the fantastic Chicken Vermicelli Bowls, teeming with deliciously perfect slices of marinated grilled chicken, heavily brown sauced Beef Broccoli or the massive bowl of enlightening Pho, chock full of delicious morsels of beef and pork, submerged in a most flavor filled broth, spice forward, warm and full of depth, plus loads of fresh Thai basil, jalapenos, been sprouts, julienne of carrot and other crunchy delights.  

We have come to favor adornments and stir ins, from more Sriracha and soft boiled egg to Everything Bagel sprinkles, not missing also the chance to throw in some extra 'Veg' to meet our day's requirements.  The featured Noodle Bowl is one such combination.  My 13 year old asked for some noodles.  I had a bunch of fresh veggies to use up and also found the ever interesting steamed fish cake, like the slivers found in the Hot and Spicy noodle bowl by Nongshim. I stumbled across this umami candy looking gem while dropping by one of my favorite places, the "Oriental" Market in a nearby Lynchburg, Love it!!!  The Noodles for this bowl are from Indomie, stir fry flavor and all the other ingredients are from the fridge.  I could have just served the noodles, plain with a pair of custom chopsticks for a quick meal, but I wanted to create an experience, so I went ahead and 'tricked the noodles out'!  Yeah, I  guess you could say I'm a little 'extra', but I like a good photo too, so I did what I do best, the 'most' I could to elevate the dish and the moment, packing in more colors and flavors, adding a little more personality and certainly more Love, my super secret ingredient, of which I like to show the most of, especially to my kiddoes and I want it to reflect in all that I do, anything less would be "sus"(pect)!

This post is brought to you in part by Generation Z tweens, teens and their slang. I find great humor in today's kids' verbage and admittedly, a little has rubbed off on me.  For mention's sake, that makes me kinda cringy, whatever that means...

Happy Birthday today to my nephew Rob!  We share the culinary passion bug and our left-handedness.  I hope your day is Magnificent and We Love You!! :)