What Are We Eating?

[diogenes009]

I decided that I wanted to try some of the different ramen noodles that I see in Youtube videos, but hadn't seen around.

Our local grocery stores carry Maruchan and Nissin Top Ramen in chicken, beef and shrimp. And that seems to be all. My daughter did find Top Ramen in soy flavor, though. That was a new one and we bought some to try.

It seems like the more exotic ones are the province of pound shops in the UK, so I tried the dollar stores and only found the same ones in four-packs to make the $1 price.

So we went to the city and stopped in at the Indian and Halal grocery stores. I found some ramen by Indomie, Atta Noodles, Pran Mr. Noodles, Maggi and a brand that is only in a language I don't know...



I did the Indomie chicken curry one up today and put all three spice packets in. Three spice packets in a ramen. What a time to be alive! The three packets were a "seasoning oil", curry powder and dried crushed peppers of some kind. This may be old hat to you guys, but it was a pretty big deal for someone who has only had Maruchan and Top Ramen all my life.

The soup was as advertised and the heat was good. A bit much for my wife, but I found it pleasant.

So where do you guys find the other ramen hiding? I would like to try one pack before buying a whole case on Amazon so any additional possible sources would be welcome.

[Delicate Snowflake]

What a time to be alive!

Jasper: What a Time To Be Alive

[Delicate Snowflake]

As a more serious reply - I recognise at least two of the brands in your pic, and I too search for noodles, perhaps for different reasons? I want something tasty, very quick, and very cheap, for my days at work when no-one leaves me alone for 10 seconds. Seriously, I can go to a building to do one 10-second thing, and literally every person that sees me, needs me for 'something'. Ugh.

Anyway my trick is to try different supermarkets. Here we have two companies that control probably 80% of the grocery business [Coles, Woolworths]. Filling out the leftovers are Aldi and IGA. I find that different supermarkets have different brands and products, e.g. IGA stocks a peanut satay noodle box that I can't find anywhere else.

Often anything with rice/tuna tastes good but looks like regurgitated dog-food. The noodle dishes are usually better all-round.

Today's first-tasting was this, and I have to say it was pretty good, I will pick up a few next time I am back there, although one complaint was that it came with a fork not the chopsticks in the picture:

_20181218_104559.JPG

[Delicate Snowflake]

If you don't mind having no English on the packet - try your local chinese/asian grocery. They will have several to choose from.

Also if you shop near university campuses, they will have the cheapest/tastiest noodles, often only sold in bulk.

[LadyDraco]

Also most grocery stores have many different aisles. With many different package noodles..
Like oodles of noodles, an the one that snowflake posted. And many other odd looking brands..
Ya just have to look around more and NOT just the soup aisle..

[diogenes009]

As a more serious reply - I recognise at least two of the brands in your pic, and I too search for noodles, perhaps for different reasons? I want something tasty, very quick, and very cheap, for my days at work when no-one leaves me alone for 10 seconds. Seriously, I can go to a building to do one 10-second thing, and literally every person that sees me, needs me for 'something'. Ugh.

Anyway my trick is to try different supermarkets. Here we have two companies that control probably 80% of the grocery business [Coles, Woolworths]. Filling out the leftovers are Aldi and IGA. I find that different supermarkets have different brands and products, e.g. IGA stocks a peanut satay noodle box that I can't find anywhere else.

Often anything with rice/tuna tastes good but looks like regurgitated dog-food. The noodle dishes are usually better all-round.

Today's first-tasting was this, and I have to say it was pretty good, I will pick up a few next time I am back there, although one complaint was that it came with a fork not the chopsticks in the picture:

_20181218_104559.JPG

Woolworths and IGA? That takes me back. Aldi showed up here in our region a decade, or so, back. And Woolworths (a Five & Dime store) went a long time before that. I suppose IGA (Independent Grocers Alliance) has to still be around somewhere, though I couldn't swear to it. Sort of like Big M.

I am just looking for a diversion. I have always liked ramen and it seems there is a world of it out there. There is even a series of videos by a French guy about them. And making your own. Alex is pretty entertaining.

I will add Aldi to my list. There is a regional grocer that has good sized "ethnic" and "international" aisles that I have yet to explore. I hit the two "International" grocers that were close to each other when I got those ramen I showed above. I hear there is another grocery up in the city proper that may be a bit bigger. I'll be making that journey at some point. It's not my regular diet, so I will have a bit of time before I need to stock up again.

I appreciate "different" foods, so I am up for sampling new stuff. It just seems to me that most people only eat a handful of foods and never venture far from them unless a fashion overwhelms their complacency. Then they are eating kale or drinking soy milk and acting weird for a while.

[diogenes009]

Also most grocery stores have many different aisles. With many different package noodles..
Like oodles of noodles, an the one that snowflake posted. And many other odd looking brands..
Ya just have to look around more and NOT just the soup aisle..

I am a stereotypical masculine shopper: In. Grab. Leave. It is a mission, not an afternoon's pursuit. That means that I really haven't a good idea of what is available in a store's other shelves and sections unless I have had a reason to go there.

Stores love to shuffle around the inventory under the theory that by forcing shoppers to go looking they increase the chance of additional sales of items that the shopper will come across while looking for the moved item. I often just leave the item unbought if I can't find it readily. I also get annoyed and feeling less like spending. I must have a problem with authority.

My other problem, now, is that I can't walk or stand very long. It is very annoying and makes it a bit harder to hunt around.

[LadyDraco]

So you use the little motorized carts

I hate to go shopping ....

[diogenes009]

So you use the little motorized carts

I hate to go shopping ....

I has issues with those... I don't want to surrender: If I keep saying "fuck you" to them often enough maybe they'll get the message.

I should be Amazon's target customer, and I buy from them, but I like to get my hands on a product before I buy it. And I like local stores: They are important and essential. I even understand that they sell on eBay and Amazon. I sure did when I owned a local store.

Damn. I'm too old for how young I am.

Ahh. Fahk.

[campfire]

So, I've pretty much been a gas grille guy for a LONG time. A while back my son makes one of his COSTCO runs and they had Traeger pellet smokers on sale. He loves new stuff. He buys one, loves it, smokes everything and tries all kinds of new recipes. Stops by one day and says he cooked a frozen DiGornio pizza on it. Best ever he says.

A couple of weeks ago, his buddy gets a new bigger model, and gives my son his old one. It then shows up at my house.
I start by buying the pellets, looking up recipes, and first thing I cook is burgers. Start out simple, right?

Best burgers I think I've ever cooked. So far I've smoked a turkey breast, more burgers, chicken, and a pork tender loin.
Steaks are not the best on it, I still grill those on the gas. But next up is a Tri-Tip.

[Delicate Snowflake]

Sounds great! Pics?

[diogenes009]

The addiction begins...

[LadyDraco]

ohh have you tried smoking trout in it?
or salmon ? How about venison ?

[Delicate Snowflake]

[MrKiwi]

Less of it (food), more healthy

Crumbed chicken with potato, kumera (sweet potato), cauliflower and spinach salad topped with smoked aioli.

[Delicate Snowflake]

Looks yummy

Next time ask campfire to smoke that chicken for you

[diogenes009]

It does look good.

I had to look up "aioli". So that's what creamy garlic sauce is called.

[diogenes009]

We took my daughter out for her birthday yesterday to a favorite local restaurant. We ordered an appetizer sampler to start things off. Apparently the bacon used in the clams casino had been bathed in liquid smoke for some reason. That shit is vile. And, it's the second time this year I've been ambushed by that devil's piss in a product. Why?

My mouth still tastes of a wet house fire this morning.

[Delicate Snowflake]

It must be quite something. Your description makes it seem foul

[diogenes009]

"I was trying to capture the spirit of the thing." --Dickie Dunn