Random Thoughts and Foods

Firstly, I must apologise for the constantly changing font color.... I can't figure out which color is the best against the background.... so if you have any comments/suggestions... do tell.

Meanwhile. Today, my blood pressure shot through the ceiling. Living far away, I end up missing "home" folks a lot. By home folks, I mean people I love and that love me, and we have an understanding, and they just make me feel "home".

Anyway, I end up missing them a lot.... but sometimes, I am so very very happy that I am so far away.

For example, today..... my father says the most ridiculous things to me, so much so, I am angry to the point of shaking. I calm down, hubula comes home for lunch, which is a nice surprise, so am very happy. Only to hear from a friend that the same father has called a university professor and ended the conversation with "well then, I guess marriage is the solution".... referring to a child's academic issues.

Absurd is not even the word. grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

If only I could get him to watch "An Education".

And food thoughts: friends came over for impromptu game night. Needed to make something fast, so I made my quick go-to salsa. Friend love love loved it. So another night going over to friend's for dinner, he asks me to make some, which I did.... under a lot of pressure to perform!! However, was such a hit, yet another friend asked for the recipe.

I thought it was so so strange. My salsa needs nothing special, not super adventurous, and yet so loved!

in conclusion: that which may be so simple, should not be underestimated. simple could simply be the best!

and also: life is absurd. learn to laugh at it, and you'll get through smiling.

:D

And for those of you curious, here's my made-up salsa recipe (i just put stuff - same stuff - as i taste, so no real recipe) as sent to my friend:

8 plump juicy tomatoes (not garden, i think roma would work)

2/3 red onion (super super finely chopped)

1/2 garlic (super super chopped, or pureed)

3 limes

salt

chillies

cilantro

so cut up tomatoes first, then put in onion + garlic. i usually put lots of salt.... enough so that you feel that it is on all the top layer tomatoes.... squeeze lime on top of that, stir and put in chillies. finally, chop up cilantro and put it in right at the end.

thing is, i keep adjusting a bit of this and a little more that (more chillies, more salt, oh a tad more lime) according to what i like. if it gets too salty, add another tomato and a tiny squeeze more of lime. too much lime, add a bit of salt...

ENJOY!

A day of cooking...

I have had many food thoughts over the last few days.... but haven't had time to share them.....

And today has been my day of cooking and reflecting, so here are my thoughts....

I was once again cooking a thai curry... and as i was cutting up the pieces of lemon grass, roasting the coriander and cumin... it made me think, there are so many flavors, and so many methods of preparing all the different parts, how much like a person they are. All those ingredients come together to make one fabulous dish.... and a person is made up of so many characteristics, and each part is shaped by experiences harsh and gentle, to make up one fabulous person.

And yet, burning the cumin rather than roasting it, or a little bit more salt, not as much water; a tiny little change can completely the taste of dish. and sometimes, one pack of salt is saltier than another! so no two dishes can ever taste exactly the same. And just like that, a single experience in a person's life can completely change some aspect of them, one decision can change the track of a person's life. How very fascinating.

Later, I was talking to a friend of mine. Of course, over skype as I am so very far away... Anyway, she was telling me how she had an absolutely ridiculous work week, and found it so impossible to cook herself a decent meal. And the lack of a meal just compounded with her stress. And when one feels unable to feed oneself, everything else falls apart. And thus the cliche, or old wise words, "you are what you eat." What happened to the world over the last few decades that we forgot that, and started to feed ourselves chemicals instead of real food w/ real nutrients... and why did/do we call it food? If food is our primary physical life block, isn't that what we should prioritise?

This week has been a relatively interesting week. Had a few meetings w/ potential work opportunities. Which can be both exciting and intimidating, since i haven't worked in a formal space in years!!! But the teams I spoke to seem innovative, interesting, so it could actually turn out to be fun (hopefully). But this meant that I ate out lots... and some lovely meals were had!

a lovely lentil/chickpea bunless "burger" w/ yoghurt/cucumber raita, eggplant mash, haloumi and a wonderful green sauce and micro greens. Then the necessary yumyum chinese takeout, and i even got a pre-marinated steak at the butchers, which made for a meal faster than take away (side of spinach and saute mushrooms).

So, with the possibilty of formal work in the future (meaning days not at home lounging), and a week of not really cooking much, I took a long lazy day to just cook and cook today.

My favorite thing (at the request of my husband) was Kash-style Indian curry. And I am very very proud of my innovations. I usually put a bit of yoghurt in it when marinating the chicken...but since there was none to be had today, I put in a bit of cheese! It was a lovely duetto dolce con figs and walnuts... so i took out the figs and walnuts, in it went... melted right into the sauce, and just gave it the right balance!

A happy day of balance in food, and therefore, in life!

Comfort Food

I came across this article from the NY times, the other day. I love the way she relates foods to emotions, even hope.

And I can't be so exact to think of a specific moment that a food reminds me of, but there are definitely foods that can make you feel comforted... especially being so very far away from the comfort of home.

As much as I love, appreciate and know the importance of food from scratch w/ good, fresh raw ingredients.... I have to admit, this is one of my favorite comfort foods:

Yup, that's right! Instant noodles full of crap. This particular one is one of my absolute favorite brands, but there is also a black and red ramen one that I love. And here are my reasons:

- so much flavor!

- works for my carb cravings

- warm and cozy

- INstant (minimal work)

Actually, come to think of it, it is my emotional-comfort food. So when I feel a bit down and out, this makes me feel better... and makes me feel like:

a) i'm still capable of feeding myself (no matter how down i get)

b) full belly usually leads to happiness... in my case

c) i still feel flavor

d) things are going to get better (because it did last time i ate it!)

And my getting better (from a flu usually) food is stir-fried crunchy broccoli. Love the crunch and the freshness of the green, green broccoli.

Hmmm...... perhaps, I'm a bit strange. I wonder what one's comfort food says about the personality!

The reason for ...

I feel the great need to explain my self, my idea, my blog.

When I think of my life, so much of it revolves around food: happy times eating an ice cream cone in the sun at a park, sad times eating a tub of ice cream on the couch watching teary movie, celebratory times eating double scoop swiss chocolate ice cream w/ luscious strawberries... you get the idea.

Much of one's life is reflected in food.

Last year, I moved halfway across the world, to a continent completely foreign and friendless, for love. During my initial time here, I found it hard to share/convey what I was experiencing, seeing, missing. I probably needed some time to digest everything myself.

Half a year later, we took a long X-mas holiday (postponed honeymoon). Being sick for a large part of the trip, I rediscovered my intense love, perhaps insatiable yearning, for yumyum food and all flavours/textures strange and "exotic". I'd like to think it reflects my joie de vivre...

So now, when I'm finally ready to share and express... I want to share my life through food!!!

Thai Weekend

At the end of last year, a trip to Thailand, a wonderfully wacky Thai cooking class, and the insatiable desire for all things sweet, sour, spicy inspired my cooking adventure! (and thus, the start of this blog)

And so, with the beginning of the newyear, I decided to put my new interest to action! It started w/ a weekend dinner with some friends of some first-run, first time, popular Thai dishes.

First, we started w/ some yum yum salads and tom yum soup:

(appearing from the left: som ta - papaya salad, tom yum goong soup, green mango salad)

The next course consisted of the usual: rice, the so-famous green curry chicken:

However, the piece de resistance was by my hubby: (medium beef steak marinated and drizzled over w/ penang curry)

We only got a picture of it while it was marinading, unfortunately... But when it was sliced and being eaten, it was really a thing of beauty! The meat was so tender, it only needed a regular table knife to cut through!

We also got some action with the lovely morning glory (this is my favorite dish, but the actual morning glory - water spinach - is hard to come by)

By the end of it, we were much too tired to cook up a dessert, but luckily a friend brought some lovely personalised cookies.

Overall, it was a really lovely, very successful evening. We even ended up playing hours of games afterwards!!!!

I must admit, when I first thought of this blog, it was to be more of relating my view of the world, how I see life to the foods and flavors I experience... but posting all these pictures have taken such a wonderfully long time, I'm absolutely exhausted.

I will say though.... in our cooking class, the Chef told us that there was one simple, basic foundation to Thai cooking. That is, every dish must be comprised of three tastes, the three S's: Sweet, Salty and Sour.

And in the same way, for a fulfilling life, you need a little bit of all those.... and perhaps some Spice for a little kick.

The Quick Meal

A lot of times, we just need a quick start to get the ball rolling. Such is my post, and my meal for the day: fava beans with cherry tomatoes, zaatar, red onions, cilantro and of course, a chilli! (life just has to have spice!)

So my feel for the day, as Nike best put it: Just do it!