At Powell's the other day, I picked up a copy of British chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's River Cottage Veg: 200 Inspired Vegetable Recipes, mostly because I have a borderline compulsive cookbook-buying habit, but also because I liked the pictures.

And I'm so glad I did because there's a recipe for HOMEMADE CUP O' NOODLES.

I'm sorry, let me just.... HOMEMADE CUP O' NOODLES

Fearnley-Whittingstall (would you believe he's British?) calls it "DIY Pot Noodles," which is how British people say Cup O' Noodles. The recipe's crazy easy: Egg noodle nest, vegetable bits (grated carrot, shredded bok choy leaves, chopped scallion, whatever), a pinch of brown sugar, a quarter of a veggie boullion cube, 1/2 tsp each of grated ginger and garlic, some diced red chili. Pack into a mason jar; when ready to eat, fill with boiling water, seal the jar and give it a shake, wait a few minutes, then add some soy sauce and/or lime juice. It's versatile, portable, and cheap, and it took me 3 minutes to make two of 'em this morning.

Here's a recipe for a chorizo 'n' tomato version. And here is a picture of my lunch.

LUNCH.jpeg


(As to why I don't just eat actual Cup O'Noodles, and why I refuse to call them "Cup Noodles," which is their official name now? Because I am no longer 10 years old, and that shit will never taste as good as it did in the grade school cafeteria.)