Aside from normal activities being more consuming than a post, forgive me, another predicament came up in my delay of posting this. According to people who eat my food, I am a good cook. I myself believe I am a decent, if not good cook. Recipes do not give me grief, all methods of cooking [except for grilling, since that's sort of a hassle and takes more effort than any one dinner thing] are my friends, and since I am part German [haha] I have a bit of the mixologist in me, which means I get random ideas to throw in this or that ingredient that has next to nothing to do with the meal.
However, I don't cook often. It is not a necessity for me to cook for myself, and the one day a week I used to, I relinquished since the spring because I was wearing myself out at work. And my repitore is often limited to what is in the refridgerator and pantry. So though on that one day I'd love to make clam chowder, I settle for chicken cordon bleu because I don't have clams [for example]. I am also STUPENDOUSLY indecisive. I could sit in a room full of my favorite foods and still starve to death because I wouldn't be able to decide what I want to eat first. So when it is my day to cook, I often stand in front of the refridgerator [doors closed, no energy wasting], contemplating for minutes to hours on end what to make. Nothing comes to me. I don't like to just pop a DiGorno in the oven, though I have done that, but yet, I very rarely want to be all over the kitchen with mixing bowls and whisks and knives flying because of an overly complex dish. I also try not to rehash what we've had the past few nights. And when all the good things are taken, it leaves me with a select few options. Usually, this is okay, because these last few things I end up making, only I make; curry, sushi, French onion soup, pancakes, nabe, etc.
Breakfast is usually cereal, even on the weekends when I have the time to make it. If I'm feeling classy, a bagel may be involved. Very rarely do we eat breakfast together [as in something was prepared for all of us to partake of at once] in my house because we all get up at odd hours, and want whatever we end up making for ourselves. I can make mean French toast and pancakes, and once I get a waffle iron, those are definitely going to be on my menu more often.
Lunch is unusual. In an aforementioned post on my health, I touched on how lunch was either junk food or non existent. But lately, with the rise of picnics--not with Toriberry yet, but with Nobu more--and the ges-sui-kin schedule working out as it is, I've been packing my bento more often. It's a four compartment thing that I've been meaning to take a picture of, that usually is stuffed with leftovers from dinner, octopus hot dogs, fruit, and sandwhich quarters. Usually I make it on ges-sui for ka-moku, since I don't have anything to do besides work on ka-moku. There are supposed to be a certain amount of aesthetics to the bento preperation, in terms of the food groups that go into it, but you know, in the end,. I just want something substantial, and put whatever the hell I want in there. Maybe I will comprise mini-posts of bento. If I remember.
But back to cooking. Yes, this marquis does it, yes, I am fairly good at it, but oddly enough, no, I seem to never know what to prepare. However, dinner got dumped on me a week ago, and so when finished wracking my brains, firing up the stove-top, and plating, I at last remembered to take a picture.
Tada~ behold, shrimp pasta with mini quiche and buttered green beans. Incredibly simple, amazingly tasty. If I had thought about it, I would've taken a picture of mom or dad's plate, since I put red and orange peppers on their spaghetti [I'll eat em, but since I'm controlling the meal, I didn't put them on], thus making it a bit more colorful. We were severely lacking on groceries when I made this, so I was a bit limited to frozen things [no the noodles weren't frozen]. Some feta cheese--later--crumbled on top or a spoonful of alfredo sauce makes it your own meal. Whatever you like; whatever's in your cabinets and fridge. I often put bacon bits on top of my greenbeans, even though those greens are yummy on their own. If you have other noodles besides spaghetti, don't make it a squiggly doodle; go ahead and dump those bow ties in. Hell, if i had more soumen, I would've used that. Instead of mini-quiches, maybe you'll put a few triangles of spanikopita as a side, or make garlic bread with tomato sauce to dunk it in.
As I always like to say, just keep your juices flowing. Don't let lack of ingredients stop you from creating a tasty meal. If you like eggs, hard-boil one and add it to any salad or entree; same with deli-sliced ham lightly pan fried. It's whatever you want and have on you.
I don't know when the next time I'll be cooking a "full blown" meal will be, but there are definitely pictures to be had for the bento and treats I plan to prepare for tomorrow's meet up. I have some azuki bean paste from my ever favorite Asian food market Super Grand, and I have a thought to make mini pancakes, smear the red bean deliciousness between two, and quarter them. If you don't have time ingredients to make panckaes, toast is a great supplement. If I had whipped cream, it make a great dipping side. Instant dorayaki. The octopus hot dogs are definitely on the menu too. I make mine on my George Forman grill, and they curl up great.
Damn all this talk about food and I haven't had anything for lunch yet [plus chewing gum and fuming makes me hungrier]. I think I'm due for an om nom.
Tou zakaru memory, waka chiate memory~
Eternally yours,
Il Ruinante Isaak
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