Improvising Dinner With Peter J. Kim

You’ll never look at instant ramen the same way again.

Thanks so much for joining us here! If recipes and cookbook recommendations are your thing, I highly recommend hitting subscribe. Then catch up on my conversations with Dan Pelosi, Yasmin Khan, Rebecca Firkser, and Rick Martinez…

Peter J. Kim’s new cookbook dives deep into instant ramen. There’s a chart of recommended cook times for the various different gauges of noodles. He breaks the preparation process into four quick steps, each an opportunity to improve your bowl. He spins a packet of noodles into a dish inspired by Xi’an cumin lamb—and a cheesy, gooey spinach gratin. (Both of those recipes are below.)

But it’s not really just a book about enhancing the beloved convenience staple.

“I'm a huge advocate for improvisation, in music and food—in life, frankly,” Peter tells me in this week’s episode of The Dinner Plan podcast.

It’s not just about making cooking more fun, he says: “Once you start working that muscle more and more, it means that you can work with what you have, you know, or somebody can hand you an ingredient and you can build something out of it. And that’s just practically useful, because you can’t always have all the ingredients you need for a particular recipe.”

Peter shares ways to add body to a bowl of instant ramen, his flexible (but never-fail) formula for salad dressing, and introduces us to the “perpetual stew” he keeps simmering throughout the fall. It’s never the same stew twice!

I’m releasing a few extra episodes this month and next since there are so many great new books coming out this fall. I definitely recommend tuning into this one, and I’d be so grateful if you’d hit “follow” on your favorite podcast app.

Win a copy of Instant Ramen Kitchen

Thanks to Chronicle Books, I have one copy of Instant Ramen Kitchen to give away. To enter, make sure you’re signed up as a paid subscriber by end of day Sunday, September 14, 2025. That’s all you need to do, though leaving a comment and hitting that ❤️ at the bottom of this post will make my day.

Giveaway winner will be alerted by Substack DM and email—be sure to check your messages!

Becoming a paid subscriber is a the best way to keep these conversations flowing, but free subscribers can enter the giveaway by sending us a “what’s in my kitchen” voice memo for potential inclusion on the show. Just follow the instructions here by Sunday, September 14 to enter.

U.S. addresses only, 18+. Giveaway not sponsored or administered by Substack. Ends September 14, 2025. This newsletter includes affiliate links—commissions from your purchase help to support The Dinner Plan.

Peter mentioned:

Karen Page and Andrew Dornenberg’s The Flavor Bible (Bookshop here)
Shin Ramyun
Singapore Laksa La Mian
Indomie
Wild Timur Pepper, a cousin of the Sichuan peppercorn that Peter loves.
Madhur Jaffrey’s Indian Cookery (Bookshop here)
Maneet Chauhan’s Chaat (Bookshop here)
Maangchi’s kimchi jjigae
Saveur’s cassoulet

From the ad break:

Made In Cookware: Head to madein.cc/dinnerplan to unlock your discount offer
Find House Foods Shirataki Ramen Packs wherever you buy groceries

Maggie mentioned:

South River 3-Year Barley Miso
Mushroom Shawarma from Cooking Fast and Slow by Natalia Rudin
Beituti shawarma marinades
Make This Braising Liquid Once, Reuse It Forever, by Genevieve Yam

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A MESSAGE FROM OUR SPONSOR

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Photo: Bobbi Lin

Spinach Ramen Gratin

Excerpted from Instant Ramen Kitchen: 40+ Delicious Recipes That Go Beyond the Packet by Peter J. Kim, © 2025. Published by Chronicle Books.

I mostly avoid using the oven for instant ramen in favor of speedier stovetop cooking. However, there’s one thing that ovens can do that stovetops cannot: create a browned cheesy top. You can consider this a template for creating a gooey, cheesy instant ramen dish with an appetizing golden crust in the oven.

Try This:
· Swap out the spinach for another vegetable, such as green peas, broccoli, or tomatoes.
· Add 2 to 4 ounces [55 to 115 g] of raw ground meat to the mixture.
· Mix and match cheese combinations using melty cheeses, such as Gruyère; creamy ones, such as Brie; and savory ones, such as Parmesan

1 cup [240 ml] milk
1 Tbsp cornstarch
½ cup [70 g] frozen spinach, broken up
¾ cup [60 g] shredded mozzarella
One 3½ to 4½ oz [100 to 125 g] packet instant ramen, noodle cake broken into large chunks

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F [200°C].

2. In an 8-inch [20 cm] baking dish, add the milk, cornstarch, spinach, ¼ cup [20 g] of the mozzarella, the seasoning sachet, and noodle chunks. Stir until combined, ensuring the noodle chunks are all at least partially submerged. Top with the remaining ½ cup [40 g] of mozzarella.

3. Bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese has browned. Serve immediately.

Photo: Bobbi Lin

Xi’an-Style Cumin Lamb Ramen

Excerpted from Instant Ramen Kitchen: 40+ Delicious Recipes That Go Beyond the Packet by Peter J. Kim, © 2025. Published by Chronicle Books.

I first came across this dish at Xi’an Famous Foods in Flushing, Queens, a restaurant that serves food from Western China. I found the flavor combination of spices, herbs, and chile on their thick, hand-pulled noodles to be nothing short of intoxicating. I wasn’t the only one, apparently—the restaurant has received national recognition for this and other dishes. This is my instant ramen homage to the harmony of flavors in their cumin lamb dish.

Try This:
· For a vegetarian version, omit the gelatin, use a soy-flavored instant ramen, and replace the lamb with ground seitan. Add the chili crisp at the beginning of the Pre-Simmer phase and sear the seitan in it.
· Replace the ground lamb with any other ground meat, such as beef or turkey.
· Play with the spice mix. Try different amounts of cumin and Sichuan peppercorns, and try other spices like coriander seeds, black pepper, and star anise.

Ingredients:

One ¼ oz [7 g] packet powdered gelatin
2 cups [475 ml] water
4 oz [115 g] ground lamb
1½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground Sichuan peppercorns
2 Tbsp chili crisp or rayu
½ cup [60 g] diced celery
½ cup [40 g] diced cabbage
2 tsp rice vinegar
One 3 to 3½ oz [85 to 100 g] packet instant ramen (recommended: Beef-Flavored Top Ramen, Maruchan, or Sapporo Ichiban)
4 sprigs cilantro, leaves removed and stems chopped, for garnish.

Instructions:

1. PRE-SIMMER: In a measuring cup or bowl, add the gelatin to the water and stir to combine. Let the gelatin bloom for at least 1 minute.

2. Heat a medium saucepan over high heat. Sear the lamb for 3 minutes or until browned. Lower the heat to medium. Add the cumin, Sichuan peppercorns, chili crisp, celery, and cabbage. Sauté for 2 minutes. Add the gelatin water, vinegar, and seasoning sachet to the saucepan.

3. SIMMER: Once the soup is simmering, cook for 2 minutes. Add the noodle cake and cook for 2 minutes or until your desired doneness.

4. FINISH: Pour the ramen into a bowl and garnish with the cilantro. Serve immediately.