Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts

Saturday, November 27, 2010

From Giggly Girls to Japanese Curry

Wow, I really suck at keeping blogs.

These last few months have been a combination of being busy, lazy, forgetting to write, and staring at my computer screen, not knowing what to write about. But you could argue that it was mostly laziness.

Thus, without further ado, here are a few ramblings for a long-overdue update:

Seven Giggly Girls

Towards the end of August, I returned to the university several weeks early to become a peer advisor for the incoming freshmen. Each peer advisor (known as PAs) is responsible for a group of freshmen, with whom he or she would hold week-long discussions on adjusting to college.

We were all excited to see who our “kids” (as we would call our freshmen advisees) would be and for the interactions that would follow. Lucky for me, my group consisted of seven girls, and I would come to describe them as seven giggly girls. When the girls weren’t calling themselves “Jacky’s Angels,” they were chatting about their newfound college-boy problems.

Nonetheless, it was an experience that I wouldn’t have traded for anything else. Between the late-night sessions and early-morning seminars for PA training, I met many great friends who might have otherwise passed me by. It’s one of those moments where you wonder what would’ve been if you had chosen not to go to this place or do that thing. In the end, you can only smile about how, luckily, everything fell into place.

Now, if only I could forget that “Jacky’s Angels!” part…

Remembering to do Certain Things

In September, I read the book Have A Little Faith by Mitch Albom. The narrative begins with the author being asked by his childhood rabbi to deliver his eulogy. Thus, the two become friends during the rabbi’s last years as the author seeks to learn more about the man he feared as a boy. (Albom admits that he falsely imagined his rabbi as anything but gentle and forgiving.)

Throughout the chapters, the rabbi spoke of learning to cherish and forgive. One story, in particular, stuck to me. Here’s my attempt to paraphrase:

The rabbi had just finished giving a sermon at a funeral. The widowed husband stood next to him, mourning the death of his wife.

At first, a few tears drifted off the husband’s cheeks. “I loved my wife,” he whimpered, and the rabbi nodded.

Then the husband began to cry. “I really, truly, loved her,” he sobbed, and once again the rabbi nodded.

Finally, the man broke down and wept.

“I almost told her that once,” he said.

The story referred to the pain of having regrets and reminded me that, while it’s never too late, life is still so fleeting.

Witty Costume Ideas

On a lighter note, the end of October called for Halloween festivities. As I readied for the parties, my friend refused to partake in the celebrations because it was against his religion. So I suggested that he should forget that the holiday existed and jump into costumes just for the hell (no pun intended) of it.

Needless to say, that didn’t work.

Unlike some of the college students, I didn’t want to spend money on a tutu or dinosaur outfit. So, I made myself a cereal-box shirt and purchased a plastic knife. Ten points to whoever can guess what I was going for.



There Can Never Be Too Much Food

In November, I learned to cook edible food for my friends. After a couple tries, I figured out the secret ingredients to Japanese curry: apple slices and Hershey’s chocolate. I would make this curry with chicken, ground beef, for house dinners, for myself, and even when one of my friends ran out of food/groceries at her place.

I’m pretty sure my housemates would kick my ass if I suggest Japanese curry for one more meal. Fortunately for them, I don’t have any photos of my favorite meal. But I do have a picture of ramen from a Ramen Reunion!


The Little Things That Don’t Matter As Much

The other day, I flipped a coin. Heads said I make a new blog and delete this one. Tails said I keep this one. I ended up making a new blog. If you’re interested, go check it out! I’m not sure where I’ll go with the new site, but it’ll probably be shorter, more frequent, blurbs.

As for this blog, there’s no way I can delete it! How else could I laugh at my old rants?

So what’s been going on in your lives these last few months? Lemme know!

Monday, March 8, 2010

Cooking Like A College Kid

With Spring break underway, I will be spending this next week at school because of lacrosse training. It’s great since I get to hang out with my friends and teammates. It’s even better because now I have all the time to learn to cook. And the best part? I’m just living a life of friendships and cuisines. Here’s a few recipes on making that work.

A Manly Steak
12-ounce top sirloin steak
Montreal Steak seasoning
Olive Oil

Take the steak out of the wrapper (Duh…) and set it on a plate. Sprinkle both sides with a moderate amount of seasoning so it doesn’t smother the actual flavor of the meat. Afterwards, dribble a little olive oil on the steak, and rub until it is spread evenly. As you let the steak marinate for a few minutes, place a skillet pan on a heated stove-top so it’s sizzling beforehand.

Now, before you sear the steak, make sure to open all windows and/or completely cover the fire alarm. (Note to self: Covering the fire alarm may be a bad idea…) As soon as the steak is in the pan, the olive oil will immediately smoke up, so savor the aroma as it fogs up the room. Let the steak cook according to your taste, and flip it only once. Remember to account for the thickness of the beef cut, and be patient!

Once the steak is done, compliment it with a movie about Spartans or American football. If you don’t feel masculine enough, try eating with bare hands. Then attempt to wrestle the entire lacrosse team.

The Buffalo Chicken Panini That Will Make You More Friends
Sliced buffalo chicken
Sliced Provolone cheese
Sliced tomatoes
Oatnut bread
Butter

Smear generous amounts of butter on inside of both slices of oatnut bread. Apply slices of Provolone cheese, then sliced tomatoes, and finally, sliced buffalo chicken on top of the butter. Let your personal preferences (Or how much money you have for groceries…) decide how many slices of everything should go into the sandwich. Then smack the two sides of bread together in a panini-grill, and let it cook until near-burnt.

Not only is the buffalo chicken panini delicious beyond words, it is also a symbol of friendship. Offer it to a next-door neighbor or your secret crush, and they will see that you care and are prepared to take your relationships to the next level.

Cheap Chicken Alfredo
Diced chicken breast
Rotini pasta
Chopped Broccoli
Canned Alfredo sauce
Butter
Olive Oil

Pour the Rotini pasta into a pot of boiling water along with some butter, and stir until it is tender. As the pasta cooks, spread a thin layer of olive oil on a skillet pan and sauté the diced chicken breast. Unless you’re a fan of salmonella, be sure to cook the chicken to a golden brown.

Meanwhile, microwave the chopped broccoli with a few teaspoons of water. Drain the water from the cooked pasta and add a few spoonfuls of Alfredo sauce into the pot. Mix with the chicken and broccoli, and water if the blend becomes too dry. For additional zest, spice it up with some salt and pepper.

To make the cooking easier, have a friend help out. I certainly can’t cook chicken and pasta by myself. Plus, who would want to get food poisoning by themselves?