Culinary Creations

I've been cooking for myself for a few years now but am not a great chef. Being a guy, not much is expected but I actually want to challenge myself this year to attempt a new dish at least once a week. I enjoy cooking, even during my studies it was a relaxing break in my day. I miss hosting people and cooking in larger quantities. It is hard to be motivated when I share a small refrigerator and am cooking for one. I tend to stick with what i know. Moving here I was excited about making Indian food, shopping in markets, and learning new recipes but there are many reasons/excuses that have kept me from experimenting. Nonetheless, I told myself each week I would pick a dish, get the ingredients and try it out. So far, so good but then again I'm the only one eating it!
I have not worked from a recipe yet. I kind of explore what's on sale and develop something as go. I first made spaghetti with minced beef, onion, garlic, black pepper, coriander, oregano, mushrooms, tomato sauce served with a light salad, sourdough bread and red wine. I like the sauce a little heavier and spicier than most. Last week I tried stir fry: strips of chicken, red and green bell peppers, rice, egg noodles, ginger, carrots, onions and soy sauce. I was clearing out my frig and it all came together ok! This last week, I made small burritos, or soft tacos or whatever you want to call them. (poorly photographed here) chili sauce cooked into the ground beef, onion, refried beans, cheese, lettuce, some peppers and tomatoes.
When I eat, I hate being rushed, especially with good food. I remember debating with friends whether cooking was art or science, i probably need a bit of both. I am embarrased by how hard it has been to transfer to the metric measuring system. Anyways, if you have any suggestions, critique, or ideas let me know! I normally avoid resolutions but I thought this would be a worthy one to make. Don't worry, I won't be making a post about each one;)

A New Year Rolls On

1000s of people flocked into central London to bring in 2009, standing outside for hours in the cold to celebrate and watch fireworks from the London Eye-I was not one of them. I was nice and warm inside a house nearby with a couple families from the youth clubs learning new card games and playing Nintendo Wii! I joined in some other festivities New Year's Day with more friends but no bike trip into London:) It was great to catch up with friends back in the States the next few days, hear about their resolutions and recent transitions and share about my own.

It is the 14th already! I am sorry for not posting yet. I've been shuffling different responsibilities and projects but it has been nice to have time to grab a book, make some coffee and chill. I finished Freedom at Midnight on the partition of India. It was very well written and though it is non-fiction, it reads like a novel. After exploring several bookstores, mainly on Tottenham Court Road, I gave into Borders 3 for 2 deal: Roots, The Shack and A Thousand Splendid Suns. Public transportation can take a long, long time so I always try to have a book with me. I read The Shack last week, a NY Times Bestseller people have been recommending to me. It is a quick, curious and powerful read. A Thousand Splendid Suns is next, it has been out a while and highly recommended. Last Thursday, when I bought these books, I explored Hyde Park. It wasn't a particularly beautiful day but it wasn't raining at least. I was surprised to be surrounded by about 20 swans at one point. I admit that it was intimidating to have them flock to me when I reached the lakeside. Though it is in the middle of the city, the size and layout of the park makes you feel like you're actually escaping it. And yes, like any tourist, I visited the statue of Peter Pan.

Monday it was a windy, rainy "unpleasant" day as they'd say here. For lunch I went with some friends to St. Albans, originally Verulanium, a Roman settlement north of their capital London. We visited the cathedral which holds the remains of St. Alban the first Christian martyr in Britain. I visited their museum and it is stocked full of artifacts they've escavated and are still finding. I had bangers and mash and a Czech lager at possibly the oldest pub in England, the the biggest portions but probably the tastiest meal in a pub yet! The building dates back to 1400. Their name came from hosting cockfights in the 17 and 18th centuries. The place is full of stories! It still amazes me to be surrounded by so much history. All of this was about 30 minutes away.

photos: the frozen Serpentine, swan bathing, birds surrounding someone else at the Round Pond, St. Alban's Cathedral, reputedly the oldest public house in Britain