Noodle Inspiration

Explore the Endless Noodle Possibilities

Most of us have a favorite noodle dish. Maybe it's homemade noodles from your childhood, maybe it's a Chinese noodle memory tied to a favorite place or time, maybe it's a chicken noodle soup heritage thing passed on through the generations, or maybe it's a dish you created yourself quite by accident while experimenting in your kitchen.

We hope these pages will remind you of noodle dishes you have forgotten, inspire you to try something new, encourage you to experiment with different types of noodles, maybe clear up any confusion you may have about which noodles to use for that favorite recipe and introduce you to possibilities you hadn't even considered.

Noodles are one of the world’s simplest foods, and one of the most versatile. A seemingly endless variety of fresh and dried noodles are now widely available. Today, North American shoppers can buy virtually any noodle they want in Asian markets and many major supermarkets stock endless varieties of dried and frozen versions.

We will also take a look at making your own noodles, fresh from your kitchen. The difference between fresh and dried pasta lies not just in the freshness of the product but in the kinds of flour used. You can experiment with a variety of shapes, and you can add different flavors and colorful vegetable purees to the dough to please both palate and eye.

Noodles are the perfect food for entertaining, and are equally suited for serving in small quantities. With the addition of a few items from your pantry and refrigerator, noodles can easily be transformed into a nutritious and enjoyable meal for any number of people.

With all the noodle shops springing up on every corner, you may think that Asian noodles are the most popular. Truth is there aren't many restaurants devoted to Tuna Noodle Casserole. But, we can’t forget about spaghetti and meatballs, lasagna, ravioli, cabbage and noodles, Polish chicken and noodles, and macaroni and cheese. Noodles can become an important ingredient in an immense range of dishes.

Noodles are simply delicious, nourishing, comforting, nutritional, economical and inspiring to experiment with in the kitchen. Few things could be quicker or easier to cook. And with the endless adaptability of noodle dishes, the sky is the limit. And let's not forget, they are ideal for the cook with little time at the end of a busy day and a family to feed.

There is something undeniably personal about cooking with noodles. With what other dish can a cook so easily express his or her mood, taste and appetite at the moment, whether it be for light, sweet, hearty, meaty, with seafood or greens and vegetables. And you don’t need a recipe. All you need is your imagination and a few things from your refrigerator and pantry. Noodles are genuinely a food for all seasons.