Slurping

Today I ate noodles with two of my granddaughters, both of whom love noodles.

I don’t think I have ever come across a noodle I didn’t like. I particularly like the long, skinny kind that you try with great persistence to wrap around the fork, and then just finally quietly work into your mouth using that same fork.

(In our travels in Italy a few years ago, we learned that the Italians wouldn’t even consider cutting their long pasta. They instead wrap and wrap and wrap it around their forks, without the use of a spoon. If all else fails, the Italians will slurp.)

So will my granddaughters. And one of the best things about being a grandparent is that you aren’t necessarily responsible for teaching your grandchildren their manners. So it was with great joy that I challenged the two of them to a noodle slurping contest. For the next two minutes, the sounds of slurping filled the kitchen. The 3-year-old won handily. Nobody slurps like a toddler.

As I said, I like noodles of all kinds. The two little girls prefer Asian noodles – especially ramen and pho. Here is a simple recipe for ramen noodles that I got from Rants From My Crazy Kitchen.

Easy Homemade Ramen Noodle Soup

Ingredients
1 package Chinese noodles
12-16 c. chicken broth
2 carrots peeled and diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 T soy sauce
1 t. sesame oil

Process
Bring the broth to a boil in a large pot. Add the carrots, celery, scallions, and garlic. Reduce heat to medium and cook until vegetables are soft. Add in the noodles, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Continue cooking for 3 minutes.