Podcast Summary: The Joy of Cooking Podcast

Episode Title: Peter Kim: A Casual Culinary Chat About Ramen
Date: October 15, 2025
Hosts: Megan Scott, John Becker, Shannon Larson
Guest: Peter Kim (author of Instant Ramen Kitchen, founder of The Infinite Table)

Episode Overview

This week, the Joy of Cooking podcast welcomes Peter Kim for a lively conversation about the humble yet beloved world of instant ramen. The episode weaves together family food memories, the joys of improvisation in the kitchen, and Peter’s inventive work both as a cookbook author and experience designer. Beyond recipes, the discussion celebrates culinary creativity, practical kitchen advice, and how ramen can be a starting point for food exploration and connection.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Opening Table Talk: Food Memories & Weekly Cooking

• The hosts share their latest home-cooked meals:

  • Megan recounts a trip to Washington, where oyster shucking and supermarket garlic bread proved a winning combination.
    • “Yeah, we just griddled it. I thought it was really good. It got really crusty that way.” (Megan, 02:18)
  • Shannon organizes a Hungarian movie night with homemade chicken paprikash, spaetzle, and an Austrian wine:
    • “Our new, like, goal is just to eat more [spaetzle] and pair it with more things.” (Shannon, 05:16)
  • John visits a Vietnamese restaurant in Astoria and praises the salted kumquat drink.
    • "It's on the verge of being too much in each one of those directions. And yet, especially as the ice kind of starts to mellow things out, it just. Yeah. Beautiful." (Jon, 06:30)

• Baking news from the Joy kitchen: John shares tweaks in their go-to fudgy brownie recipe emphasizing consistency and ease for the cookbook’s next edition. Megan explains how prepping eggs and sugar separately from chocolate yields a smoother result. (07:05–08:40)

2. Guest Introduction: Peter Kim

• Peter Kim’s food journey spans directing MOFAD, leading for Pinterest, and hosting the CounterJam podcast.
• He joins to discuss his new book, Instant Ramen Kitchen, and his new immersive project, The Infinite Table.

On Family Cooking & Cooking with Kids

• For his daughter’s birthday, Peter crafts a kid-friendly “stealth veggie” pizza using buckwheat crust and carrot-cauliflower sauce.
  • “For me, it’s all about showing the vegetables, getting them to like vegetables, and then sort of nurturing that relationship. With my daughter, unfortunately, though, I have to go the sneaky route.” (Peter, 10:01)
• Peter involves his children in the kitchen with age-appropriate tasks, especially peeling garlic—a win-win for child engagement and outsourcing kitchen chores.
  • “I don’t particularly enjoy [peeling garlic], and they do, and I can give them, like, a whole head of garlic… when I turn around, there’s peel everywhere, of course, but then I also have this, like, perfectly peeled garlic.” (Peter, 11:35)

3. Ramen Deep Dive: Philosophy, History & Improvisation

Personal Ramen Stories

• Peter shares how ramen nurtured his independence as a “latchkey kid” and became a vehicle for culinary experimentation:
  • “There was one thing that got me actually cooking and sort of broadened my perspective… and that was instant ramen. And it was something that was easy enough for me to make even at a young age.” (Peter, 13:41)

Ramen as a Canvas for Creativity

• Ramen’s unique format invites improvisation, compared to other packaged foods.
  • “With instant ramen, it’s practically calling for it… over the years growing up, I just experimented with adding all sorts of things. And it kind of grew as I grew.” (Peter, 15:01)
• The book’s real mission is to empower joyful, improvisational home cooking.
  • “Sometimes I say the book is nominally about instant ramen, but it’s actually about improvisation. And it just so happens that instant ramen is the canvas in this case.” (Peter, 20:10)
• The book is described as more of a “guide” than a recipe compendium, designed to unlock creativity and provide loose frameworks rather than strict formulas.
  • “Over half the book is not recipes and it’s more about how to think through sort of open ended cooking and improvising in the kitchen.” (Peter, 19:11)

Ramen Goes Global

• Peter consciously presents recipes inspired by dishes from around the world (ex: Shakshuka ramen, moqueca ramen), to demonstrate ramen’s flexibility far beyond traditional Asian broth-based styles.
  • “Any soup, any stew, any noodle dish, certainly. And honestly, most dishes can be made with instant ramen…” (Peter, 21:24)

Ramen History

• Instant ramen’s origin post-WWII Japan: Momofuku Ando invented the fried, instant-cooking noodle block as a means of providing fast, filling food during a period of scarcity and foreign wheat surplus.
  • “His big invention was cooking the ramen noodles and then frying them. The frying action dried them out, made them shelf stable, and gave them a porous structure so they hydrate extremely quickly.” (Peter, 22:28)

4. Practical Tips & Notable Recipes

Ramen Cooking Framework

• Peter describes a structure for building delicious instant ramen using five components:
  1. Something to brown: Boost umami by sautéing proteins or veggies (bacon, mushrooms, onions).
  2. Something to add body: Tomato paste, tahini, coconut milk, gelatin, or fat.
  3. Vegetable: Use whatever’s handy—a great clean-out-the-fridge approach.
  4. Something acidic: Add citrus or vinegar at the end for brightness.
  5. Finishing touch: Herbs, nuts, or even crushed seaweed for freshness and texture.
  • “You’ll end up with a really delicious meal with whatever you use.” (Peter, 42:16)

Memorable Recipes from Peter’s Book

• Moqueca-Inspired Ramen (Brazilian seafood stew):
  • “The moqueca was quite routinely one that people would stop and be like, ‘Oh my God, this is instant ramen. How is this possible?’” (Peter, 24:19)
• All book recipes designed to take ≤ 20 minutes, capped at 10 ingredients, and require just one pot—preserving the “instant” aspect.
  • “The whole point of instant ramen is…it needs to be quick and easy.” (Peter, 25:18)

Brand Picks & Pantry Strategy

• For experimenting, Peter suggests classic US supermarket staples (Top Ramen, Maruchan, Sapporo Ichiban). For spicier options: Shin Ramyun (Korea).
  • “If I’m trying to do something a little more out of the box, I’m going to use those really simple ones… Top Ramen or Maruchan or Sapporo Ichiban.” (Peter, 26:57)

Ramen Snacking & Leftover Flavor Packets

• Crunchy ramen salad is described by Megan as a nostalgic Midwest potluck staple.
• Jon admits to enjoying some brands of ramen “raw” as a snack: “Just crushing them up in the bag and adding the sachet and just kind of eating it like a barbarian.” (Jon, 45:11)
• Leftover seasoning packets: Peter uses them like bouillon or Sazón, adding to sauces or dishes for an umami boost.
  • “I always have them extra ones, and I use it in the same way you would use Sazón or… bouillon powder… instead of seasoning with salt, I’ll just use that instead.” (Peter, 47:01)

5. The Infinite Table – Immersive Culinary Storytelling

• Peter details his new project: The Infinite Table, an immersive experience blending 360-degree video and food to “teleport” diners to destinations such as Oaxaca, Kerala, and Madagascar.
  • “The projectors all come on, and then you’re in, say, Oaxaca… For guests, it was just kind of like, what experience? … They were able to actually taste what they had just seen.” (Peter, 29:35)
• Emphasis on authentic storytelling, supporting producers via revenue share, and making global culinary experiences accessible:
  • “I hope what it does is really spark empathy and also connections across tables, but also across borders…” (Peter, 32:38)

6. Listener Q&A: Ramen Pantry Cleanout

Caller question: “I’ve got a lot of ramen—any ideas to make it fun?” (39:33)

• Peter reiterates his five-part ramen improvisation framework.
• Megan suggests her family’s toasted ramen-cabbage salad for a crunchy potluck side dish (44:15).
• Jon and Peter both give a nod to eating ramen noodles straight as a snack.
• Peter’s advice for extra seasoning packets: treat them like a universal flavor bomb for nearly any savory dish.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the creative potential of ramen:
  “My hope with this book… is to really open up the possibilities of, well, being joyful in the kitchen.” (Peter Kim, 18:53)
• On freeing people to improvise:
  “This book, it feels like a mindset, it’s a ramen mindset.” (Megan Scott, 19:56)
• On honoring instant ramen’s DNA:
  “At that point I’m just like, why are you even cooking with instant ramen in the first place? The whole point of instant ramen is it needs to be quick and easy.” (Peter Kim, 25:18)
• On ramen and family culture:
  “It’s just kind of a staple of my family… We’ll just actively be excited about having instant ramen for a meal.” (Peter Kim, 15:46)
• On Infinite Table’s goals:
  “For any people like you or me, that’s not so surprising, because… when you think about what the most meaningful food experiences you have, they’re always going to involve some context and story behind it.” (Peter Kim, 31:51)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Opening and food memory roundtable: 00:39–07:05
• Peter Kim’s introduction and family cooking stories: 08:48–11:53
• Ramen deep-dive: philosophy, history, improvisation: 11:53–25:18
• Peter’s suggested ramen framework: 40:00–42:16
• Ramen pantry cleanout Q&A: 39:33–48:00
• The Infinite Table immersive experience: 29:35–38:04
• Favorite brands and ramen snacking conversation: 26:39–46:08

What’s Cooking Next? (Hosts’ and Guest’s Upcoming Food Plans)

• Shannon: Excited for ramen at Wurons in Portland before a show. (50:11)
• Jon: Cheddar scallion biscuits, mimosa pound cake, and tomato orange soup from Elephants Deli. (50:32)
• Megan: Experimenting with a sweet potato “sonker” (juicy NC cobbler), served with “milk dip.” (51:40)
• Peter: Roasting Brussels sprouts with his son—celebrating the start of the season. (51:59)

Where to Follow Peter Kim

• Instagram & TikTok: @peterjkim
• Info & updates on The Infinite Table: [Website link provided in show notes]

For more recipes, behind-the-scenes content, and future episodes, follow @joyofcooking or subscribe to the podcast’s Substack.

[End of Summary]