September, 2002

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John Rose (pictured at right relaxing at the kitchen table of the Goliard staff's first apartment on Nob Hill in San Francisco where he often could be found pontificating to another Goliard editor how one should best prepare a Ramen meal given the limited resources and still be able to afford a quart of beer from the Elvis Mart across the street) has not had the free time to pursue the culinary arts and therefore will not be featured in this space as a guest chef. However before The Goliard became a smashing success thus alleviating for its editors the need to prepare their own food, the founders of the enterprise existed on shaky financial means, in an even shakier fifth floor flop house, in the heart of America's shakiest and most expensive city, San Francisco. A nightly ritual developed which involved strolling down to Vesuvios in North Beach to partake in a couple or four "Recession Specials" (shot well whiskey, 10oz beer back) before ambling back up the hill through Chinatown. Along the route home, your editors would take a break from discussing the important goliardly issues of the day to parse through the street side offerings and select a cheap and unidentifiable vegetable or two for to dice up and thereby liven up their nightly Ramen. The cost of these evening repasts averaged between forty and seventy cents a meal which often allowed the funds for a post prandial back to Vesuvios or to the Elvis Mart for a well needed digestif. The practice also facilitated some of the more interesting noodle dishes which might feature the likes of Choy Sum, Pak Choy, Mung Bean, Ridged Skin Luffa, Yardlong Bean, Edible Burdock, Japanese Pumpkin, Diakon, Kohlrabi, or Won Bok on any given night depending on availability. Washed down with a cold Ichiban or Pabst Blue Ribbon forty, sustenance in those days was the least of our worries but the situation did give rise to some memorable gustatorial sensations and serve to prove the ancient oriental saying, "extra chili oil always help out bad cook in pinch."

INGREDIENTS 

2 packets Ichiban Ramen Noodles
1 diced up unidentifiable vegetable from Chinatown market (Choy Sum, Pak Choy, Mung Bean, Ridged Skin Luffa, Yardlong Bean, Edible Burdock, Japanese Pumpkin, Diakon, Kohlrabi, or Won Bok)
1 egg
1 green onion
1 vegetable bullion cube
Chile oil to taste

PREPARATION

Prepare Ramen in traditional way although toss out MSG packet and substitute bullion cube

Dice and sauté vegetables to taste and add

Drop egg into boiling water until firmish

Add chili oil