Between my regular gigs and the side catering work I've been picking up, this has officially become the busiest stretch of my catering season yet. I'm talking back-to-back events, prepping in my sleep, and coming home smelling like whatever protein I braised twelve hours of that day. And somehow, in the middle of all that, my husband and I are also trying to keep one very fabulous, very much-not-paid-off new car alive and functioning as our sole mode of transportation. Two adults, one car, one shared calendar, and a lot of "wait, who has it today?" texts. It's a system. Barely.
And then, because the universe apparently thought catering season and one-car logistics weren't quite enough of a curveball, my husband got sick last week. He works in a walk-in freezer all day, then goes home in the rain, and somewhere in that whiplash of temperature changes his body just said "nope." And because we live together and share literally everything including apparently germs, he "shared with the class." Dang it. So add "nursing a sick husband while running on catering-season fumes" to the week's highlight reel.
All of which is to say: when I finally got a night off, I didn't want to cook anything fussy. I wanted something warm, something that used what I already had in the fridge, and something that felt like a hug in a bowl for both of us. So I went full freestyle and turned a pot of simple chicken stock into a ramen situation that hit exactly right — and of course I filmed it for the YouTube channel, because if I'm going to survive this week, you're coming with me.
The Vibe: Simple Chicken Stock Ramen, No Rules Attached
This isn't a "follow this recipe to the letter" kind of ramen. This is a "here's what happens when a tired chef with a sick husband and a full catering calendar needs dinner in one pot" kind of ramen. Think of it more as a method than a recipe — a jumping-off point.
**The base:** a simple chicken stock — nothing exotic, just something I found in the pantry. If you've got stock already going (or leftover from a previous cook), even better. This is the kind of thing that's honestly perfect for a busy season, because you can let it simmer low and slow in the background while you're running around doing everything else.
The freestyle part: once the stock is rich and seasoned how you like it, it's a choose-your-own-adventure from there — noodles, a soft-boiled egg if you've got the energy, whatever veggies are hanging out in your crisper, a swirl of chili oil or soy for depth, and any protein that needs using up. I built mine around what I had on hand after a week of catering leftovers and grocery runs squeezed between shifts.
The full walkthrough — including how I built the stock and freestyled the toppings — is up on my YouTube channel now. Come cook along with me, or just watch and live vicariously through my bowl while you're sick on the couch like a certain someone in my house currently is.
Why This One Felt Like the Right Recipe Right Now Honestly? Because it's forgiving. Catering season doesn't leave a lot of room for precision at home — I've been living by feel and timing all week already. A pot of stock that simmers while I'm out, and a bowl I can build in five minutes when I get back, is exactly the kind of cooking that makes sense for where life is right now: one car, one sick husband, one very full plate (pun intended).
If you're in your own version of a chaotic season — work is slammed, someone in your house is under the weather, and you just need dinner to happen — I hope this one's useful. Freestyle it. Make it yours. That's kind of the whole point.
Stay warm, stay hydrated, and if your partner works in a freezer too — maybe hand them a scarf before they head out in the rain. Learn from our mistakes.
Catch the full chicken stock ramen freestyle video over on my YouTube channel, and let me know what you'd throw into your bowl.
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