Welcome to the first episode of the Kitchen 253 podcast! Hosts Evelyn and Joe Lopez.
We wanted a food-centered podcast to share information about restaurants in the Tacoma area, and also recipes and resources for those managing on a tight budget.
In this first episode, we talk about comfort foods for a cold, wet January. In particular, Pho. You can find great pho in many of Tacoma's Vietnamese restaurants, but we feature our favorite, Souper Pho, in the Westgate Plaza (N. Pearl and 30th). They have a varied menu, and a lively take out business. Stop in and try their Shrimp Pho (Joe's favorite) or Yellow Curry (Evelyn's favorite), or something else--everything we have ordered has been delicious. We prefer to eat in, but if you'd like to order for pick up, give them a call.
Souper Pho, 2725 N. Pearl Street, Tacoma; 253-503-3328; www.souperphorestaurant.com
Shrimp Pho
Pot Stickers
We also tried a new recipe, Perfect Instant Ramen, from Chef Roy Choi (adapted by Jeff Gordinier for New York Times Cooking):
Recipe background from NYT Cooking: Make some ramen. Slide an egg into the hot broth, then some butter. Crown the steaming noodles with slices of American cheese. Scatter a bunch of toasted sesame seeds and chopped scallions across the top, if you want to. Hardly a recipe! But for the chef Roy Choi, who gave it to The Times in 2914, doctored instant ramen is a taste of Korean-American straight-from-the-bag soul food. The butter, egg and cheese help coat the ramen noodles and deepen their flavor. "It's our snack, it's our peanut butter and jelly sandwich, it's our bowl of cereal," Mr. Choi said. "It's something that has been a part of my life forever."
Ingredients:
1 pack ramen noodles with flavor packet
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon butter
2 slices American cheese
1/4 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
1/2 scallion, green part only, thinly sliced on the bias, optional
Preparation:
Bring 2 1/2 cups* of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add noodles and cook for 2 minutes. Add the flavor packet, stir, and continue to cook for another 30 seconds.
Remove the pan from the heat and carefully add the egg. Do not stir; pull the noodles over the egg and let sit for one minute to poach.
Carefully transfer everything to a serving bowl,** add the butter, cheese and sesame seeds and mix. Garnish with the scallions if desired.
Note* I reduced water to 2 cups to make the dish more noodles, and less soup
Note** I left it it the saucepan when I added butter and cheese
Questions or comments? Send them to hosts Evelyn and Joe Lopez.
Email: truetacoma@gmail.com, or find Evelyn on social media as True_Tacoma
Episode 1: A Bowl of Comfort
Tuesday, January 28, 2025 • Duration 21:04
It's a cold, rainy January day. What is your go-to comfort food? For many of us, it's a hot bowl of pho. We review Souper Pho restaurant in Tacoma, and then discuss and taste a recipe from Chef Roy Choi for Perfect Instant Ramen.
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