The Starving Animator’s Progressive Guide to Ramen
Preface: The basic ramen.
This is the el cheapo packet of grocery store ramen you buy from like Wal Mart or Albertsons, and costs around 10 to 15 cents for a packet. So far, it has been the sole means for my survival.
How to cook: just read the instructions on the packet. Boil water then add ramen and soup base. It’s ready when you can notice some sub-surface scattering (for all you animators and CG artists out there).
One day, when the world is a brighter place, we may all be able to afford some of the more expensive packets of ramen (that will cost anywhere from 59 cents to an excess of over a dollar (namely the gourmet brands like No-gu-ri, Shin, Unif, or Tung-I, …etc). Although most methods of preparing instant ramen are generally universal from brand to brand…just for now, we’ll pretend that you are like myself — too poor to afford the good stuff.
Thus, my fellow starving animators, I will be outlining ways to feed yourself (often more than one meal) with ramen for literally the cost of…well…couch change.
Part 1: The Recipes To Make the Cheap Stuff Taste Good
The Incredible Edible Egg
Ingredients:
– 1pack Ramen (any flavor)
– 1 egg
– 1.5 to 2 cups water
Instructions:
Make ramen as usual by boiling water and inserting the ramen packet after the water is in full boil. Add flavor packet, and turn down stove to about 3/4 heat. Let simmer until noodles are soft and slightly translucent. Add the egg, minus the shell. Stir the contents while egg is cooking in the ramen. If you’re really skilled, you can do this without breaking the yoke. After egg is completely cooked, season to taste, and you’re ready to chow down. Eat from pot for extra starving animator effect — but be careful the pot is hot.
Approximate cost of ingredients
Ramen: 15 cents
Eggs: 1 dozen = 1.50 so an egg would = about 13cents
Total Cost for meal: around 30 cents.
It’s an Mmmm-mmmm Good Stew!
Ingredients:
– 1 can of your favorite (non condensed) soup.
– 1pk Ramen (flavor to match the soup, although I don’t recommend clam chowder with seafood flavor ramen. I’ve tried it, and it’s bad. Match seafood flavor with Gumbo instead for a better fit)
– 1 cup water or less (you’re using less water this time due to the offset of canned soup)
Instructions:
Ramen as usual by boiling water to full boil, then add ramen and flavor packet. Cook throughly, as it should soak up a majority of the water. Once the noodles are cooked, drop to 3/4 heat and pop open a can of CHUNKY soup (or whatever brand of soup you have) and add it to the mix. Stir and simmer until light bubbling. Season to taste and scarf. Feeds 2.
Optionals if you want to go all-out:
Plop in an egg (as in previous recipe) prior to adding the canned soup.
If you have rice already cooked, feel free to throw that in too.
Fresh veggies are good too.
Approximate cost of ingredients:
Canned soup: 1.50
Ramen: 15 cents:
Total cost of meal: 1.65 for 2 individuals.