eatin'

Funny life as a bachelor; the strong desire for home-cooked food, because when you make it yourself it tends to be without tradition and feeling; slopped-together things. Even when home cooking is not good (my mother (who reads the blog) is a solid cook/chef) it is good because of what it is.. the home-cooked elements. Moving on.

I find myself happier when I cook recipes; when I store food properly for eating later, by the portion; when I approach cooking/eating as something special, not something commonplace like browsing the internets.

Bulgur Wheat
1 part, toast in pan with pinch cinnamon about two minutes, add salt and 2 parts water, boil, reduce to simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, remove from heat, wait five minutes.

Rice
Cook both sushi rice and pilaf rice with less water than I used to. Use Kombu when making sushi or Japanese rice.

Winter Squash/Sweet Potatoes
Peel them. Roast even-sized pieces of your liking at 400F. The peeling has led to most pleasure.

Roasted Vegetables
rosemary, 400F, lots of Olive Oil (more than you think and I am usually thrifty with using oil)

Hard-boiled eggs
put the eggs in cold water, bring to boil, turn off heat but leave on the heating elements, wait nine minutes, remove from water and cool - perfect HB eggies.

Buckwheat Pasta (soba)
Boil in salted water to al dente. Rinse, cool, mix sauce of: soy sauce, sugar, mirin, sesame seeds, green onions. Aside: cut green onions, freeze in an old water bottle. Shake green onions out of bottle when fresh green onions are needed. I believe I discovered this amazing shortcut!!

Porridge (general)
oats, brown rice, millet, lentils; mix equal parts, rinse, add 2 cups water per cup of grains and soak at least seven hours, no more than 24 hours, using lemon juice or, uh, a little yogurt or buttermilk. Add salt, three cups of water per cup of grain, bring to boil then simmer about 40 mins.

Porridge (rice/congee)
rinse rice, add hella water, add sake, salt, bring to boil, bring to simmer, cook until thickened, add condiments