Instant ramen is a pantry superhero that can turbocharge your cooking

Do you consider instant ramen to be a “superhero in the pantry”? Food entrepreneur Peter Kim does, so much so that he wrote a whole cookbook about it. Why? “It’s cheap, it’s accessible, it takes no time to make. The seasoning sachet all but ensures a baseline level of deliciousness,” Kim said over a video call. “And then the noodles give you enough heft to the meal that you don’t have to worry about, say, making a side of rice or making potatoes or whatever. ... All you really have to think about as a home cook using instant ramen is where do I want to take the flavor?”