Tag: cooking

Finally, home.

I finally started cooking at home again. It’s such a satisfying feeling.

On Sunday, I went shopping at the local market with the girl, Lucy, who helps clean my house, wash my clothes, and used to bring me food everyday (I sound like I’m 10 years old now). I bought all kinds of veggies, green bananas (matooke), beans, and corn flour (posho/ugali).

I also bought two aluminium pots, although I already have 5 different pots and 3 pans at home because Lucy insisted. Lucy didn’t seem to understand that those ceramic pots wouldn’t break if we heat them up. I don’t think she knows that non-stick pans shouldn’t be scratched either. The non-stick pan at the other house has obviously been scrubbed clean. I don’t want to think that I ate many meals made from that pan…

We came home and she taught me how to peel and cook matooke (green bananas that are like plantains. I don’t know if they’re plantains or not, but I love them). Then she left because the rain was coming. I happily threw together a pot of stew with tomatoes, eggplants, and onions. Seasoned only with salt, as I had nothing else. It was delicious in a way that only a self home cooked meal could be like.

I cooked again this evening also. I got caught in the rain coming back so I couldn’t go buy new ingredients. Beans, tomato, and eggplant stew it is. And a side dish of pan grilled eggplant with just the right amount of salt.

I haven’t felt more at home since I’ve arrived.

Categories
Uncategorized

Food experiment: Chapati

Here’s my first attempt: chapati!

I loved these so much in Tanzania that I requested to have them for breakfast everyday.

The recipe I followed didn’t turn out exactly as I had them in East Africa, but it’s close enough that I’m really, really happy. I made around 8 of them (they’re really filling) and put them in the fridge so I can just take them out and put them in the pan for an easy meal. I even took a leftover one, added some corn and cheese and made a sort of pizza :P

Forming the dough took a bit more effor than I expected, but it wasn’t hard at all :)

Categories
Uncategorized

Proposed Experiment

Proposed experiment:
Not buy food that I can make

I guess as an attempt get my life back into a little bit of a routine (or as some say, re-entry shock), I am formally proposing this experiment. Why?

Well, 1) I study food systems, and to say the truth, supermarkets and their “illusion of a million products which are actually all made from the same things” mentality disgust me right now (especially after living for a while where all the food was pretty much harvested within walkable distance). So this is my way of exploring an alternative and saying “screw you” to over-processed/over-packaged food.

2) I really love playing around in the kitchen (mm…don’t take that the wrong way). I love trying out new recipes (but only for myself, since 90% of the time, I’m the only one who thinks the food tastes great. I have an amazing ability to like everything I make :P). I don’t think it would be so hard to make most of what I enjoy buying from the supermarket.

3) I did a similar thing last year where I didn’t eat any kinds of pre-made candy/junk food. I had to make all my chocolate cakes, chocolate truffles (oh dear goodness…), and whatever candy I was craving at the moment (which was usually just chocolate :P). I even stopped eating ice cream for a long time!

4) I want to see how much I can push the limits of making my own food. Some ideas right now include making my own cheese (well just the simple ones, nothing like what I did for a few days in the Swiss Alps), my own chapatis (I’ve been wanting to try ever since I got back), my own bread, ugali (? not sure if I can get the suitable maize flour?), Chinese salted duck eggs etc etc.

So here’s the deal.

1) I will try to use the most basic ingredients. i.e. I will use flour, and not grind my own from wheat. I, after all, can’t devote my life to this.

2) I promise (promise promise promise) I will update once a week about a new thing I tried on the weekend. It could be a dish, or a night’s dinner I threw together with leftover ingredients, or just a recipe I’m researching. (I’m a student, and life is extremely busy right now). So watch for updates :)

Spam prevention powered by Akismet