wet noodle dreams by vaughn aeruthayan

wet

NOODLE dreams

麺

by vaughn aeruthayan

ramen

拉麵

(literally, pulled noodles)

although modern-day ramen is synonymous with japanese culture, it originated from China, where my ancestors are from. in many popular japanese ramen masters' books, ramen has 5 components: 1. noodles (duh) 2. tare 3. soup 4. oil 5. toppings

noodling around i was (still am) obsessed with noodles. more so than rice. (i can hear dramatic gasps now) one night i couldn't sleep because i stayed up thinking about how to ramen-ify a bowl of classic Penang Hokkien Mee. Like any noodle dish, it has the same components as ramen: 1. noodles (yellow* + bihun*) 2. tare (soy sauce) 3. soup (seafood broth) 4. oil (shrimp fat) 5. toppings (shrimp, eggs, meat) *yellow noodles are the OG ramen noodles, but thicker and more bitter **bihun, , is a type of rice vermicelli

面粉

the recipe... ? (disclaimer: i have only made this in my noodling wet dreams, it's not real)

ingredients

measurements? what measurements?

Noodles yellow noodles bihun Tare rock sugar soy sauce salt Soup pork bones shrimp shells (a ton of them) garlic

ingredients (cont.) measurements? what measurements?

Oil whole shrimp heads neutral tasting oil shallots Topping chashu shrimp fried shallots gently braised soft boiled egg garlic-ginger paste (optional) chili paste (optional) braising liquid

instructions...? there are none, because i made it all up! i also feel like of course none of the uncles and aunties selling hokkien mee have this structured of recipe to follow. the beauty of hokkien mee is that there can be so many variations! i've eaten hokkien mee where the broth is spicy, some has gingergarlic paste, most where they also sell Loh Mee (braised meat noodles) so their eggs are braised and broth is mixed with the braising liquid.

i could go on and on and on... but i feel like i owe people an explanation.

why noodles? noodles are versatile. it can be made of wheat, rice, mung bean, buckwheat, eggs- the possibilities are endless! noodles can be served cold like in or pasta salads, or hot! or dry like mie goreng or brothy like or soupy like common "ramens".

냉면 面

云吞

honestly, who doesn't like indomie goreng?

noodles amplified my love for food i grew up eating all types of noodle dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner. my fav childhood snack was instant noodles that we crushed and added seasonings and poured into our mouths. although rice played an important part, noodles had better texture! picky-eater me loved the feeling of slurping noodles better than rice. noodles were also symbolic of ways my ancestors perceived time.

f*ck capitalistic time this isn't new, but time isn't linear. time may come and go like ocean waves or emerge and subside like fractals or behave like spirals noodles mark important milestones for Chinese folks.

长寿面, longevity noodles, are eaten

during birthdays. ritualistically, one is supposed to slurp the noodles and not cut it or bite it short*. there's even this 50-meter-long onestrand noodle in Chong Qing! cool! *like with pasta, i will DO NOT cut noodles with my teeth or other cutlery

speaking of time... although i do have a ridiculous dream of making my yassified Penang Hokkien Mee, i have to be realistic bc i am disabled (lol). most noodle recipes take a lot of time! (huge respect to my noodle makers out there) i usually satisfy my noodle cravings with instant ramen. as a nutritionist i wish i could tell more people it's ok to eat instant ramen, even enjoy it! labeling food "bad" is healthist (: anyway here's how i upgrade my instant ramen

→

a real recipe! upgraded instant noods (i owe u at least this)

ingredients 1 pack instant ramen* 1 egg 1 slice american cheese** Notes: *i like using spicy ramen but if u want to use others you do you **if u fancy, u can use other cheeses i recommend parm or pecorino

instructions prepare instant ramen broth with half of the water in the package instructions while that cooks, crack an egg in a separate bowl and beat it, then add the cheese and try to mix it* cook the noodles and let it soak up most of the broth once the noodles are cooked, turn the stove off pour the cheesy egg mixture and stir vigorously until you get a carbonara-y** thickened sauce Notes: *i have used american cheese before and it works well, just trust the process !! **sorry italians

hope u had a good time! honestly this might be good enough to be my memoir. i really hope i have instilled a love of noodles in you. other notes/reminders: noodles are awesome vaughn has actually made fresh pasta from scratch before vaughn's fav noodles are cold buckwheat noodles donut cut your noodles (: linear time is fake xoxo if you're hungry please eat, even if all ur eating is instant ramen

bonus recipe! cold noodles, 냉면 - loosely korean inspired

ingredients

1 pack instant noods 1 tbsp vinegar 1 tbsp sugar Soy sauce (to taste) Sesame oil (to taste) Half-boiled egg (optional)

instructions Boil water for half-boiled egg (do others while waiting for this) Prepare the instant noodles by boiling the noodles & vegetable (NOT seasoning) in water In a separate bowl, pour enough hot water to dissolve the seasoning* Add vinegar, sugar, soy sauce & sesame oil to the mixture Add cooked noodles, vegetables & egg Serve cold or with ice *use minimal amounts of hot water and top with cold water