When I was young, we used to cut our own Christmas trees with some family friends every year. Since I grew up in Las Vegas, this was a full day event.

On one of these excursions, I was introduced to instant ramen. Oh, what joy! It was warm, flavorful and salty. It was fast and filling. Best of all, it was inexpensive and a snack that I could fix for myself.

To this day, I keep ramen noodles on hand.

Recently, I had my first experience with a ramen bar. The chef served the noodles and broth, added a soft-boiled egg, and then handed me the bowl — next to a buffet of sliced scallions, radishes, bean sprouts, and half a dozen sauces and chili oils. Wow!

My ramen world expanded from six to eight flavor packets to infinite possibilities.

Whether you start with instant ramen, or cook your ow

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