Let’s talk ramen noodles

In the world of college food, there are staples, and ramen noodles are definitely one of them. First of all, they're cheap. You can get a box of twelve packages for about $3.

Second, you can do almost anything with them. I've seen recipes for ramen soup, stir-fry, grilled ramen ‘steak,' and even desserts with a ramen base. The carbohydrates also fill you up quickly and give you energy over time.

I thought it would be a fitting topic, seeing as the First Annual Ramen Cook-Off is coming up soon, and I hope to see some really creative ramen creations, and not noodle-y messes.

Let's go over some of the basic rules for ramen success.

Rule #1: Ramen is just like any pasta. You need to cook it until it's just right. I've found that the noodles reach a good texture almost as soon as they start breaking apart. You really can't go wrong unless you just dip them in the water really quickly and get impatient, or you forget about them and it turns into a soupy mess.

Rule #2: Season liberally. If your food tastes bad, more often than not it's because you didn't season it enough, or you accidentally dumped half the salt shaker into the food and tried to scrape it off. Ramen noodles are really a blank canvas as far as choosing a seasoning. It mainly depends on your cuisine of choice. For Asian-inspired ramen, go with ginger, garlic, chili paste, sesame oil, etc. Or if you feel like a quick alternative to pizza, throw on some Italian seasoning, marinara sauce, mozzarella and pepperoni slices.   

Rule #3: Don't be afraid to experiment. Ramen is one of those foods that you can't really mess up.

Rule #4: Don't think that you absolutely have to use the spice packet that comes with the noodles. I usually just throw it away and do my own thing.

Rule #5: Cup Ramen is always delicious when you're pressed for time.

So there you go. As you can see, it's simple. My favorite way to make ramen is to make a sort of "Poor Man's Chicken Parmigiana." I just prepare the noodles, heat up some chicken nuggets and spaghetti sauce, pour it over, and sprinkle it with lots of Parmesan cheese. Not as good as the real thing, but great  when you're really craving it.

Eat well.

Sean Webb can be contacted at webb195@marshall.edu.