11/17

Okay, here's the first real entry. First thing's first: I love to cook. I'm not just one of those tiny wrinkly old ladies who puts a pinch of this and a handful of that into the oven and calls the result food. No, for me it's an unavoidable obsession that controls every aspect of my life. The strange thing is, although I would consider myself a gourmand, most people would not, due to those sinister villains who stereotyped us as snobs. Gourmands are generally considered by the public as haughty and rude people who turn up their noses at any ingredient or cooking method of less than superior quality. In truth, they are simply knowledgeable and in favor of new and exciting flavor palates and techniques, and in eager hunger to consume more knowledge. Take Alton Brown, for example. Yes, not only am I a complete foodie, but a devoted Food Network fan as well. Alton Brown is definitely one of my most favorite television personalities because not only does he make cooking fun (and scientific, with his various models, my favorites being his famous yeast sock puppets), he takes indigenous flavors and cuisines and turns them into simple works of art. The results are always flavorful, yet not overpowering in their number of ingredients. I also like that he makes things one generally would not make at home, such as mustard.

Food Network is not only my culinary teacher, but it continues to inspire me in improvising and creating my own recipes, a creative talent definitely possessed by moi. For instance, last week, my mother found a lone brussel sprout in the refrigerator. She was about to throw it out when I interrupted her wasteful deed, and said that I would take control of the situation. I gently washed it, took it to the cutting board, and then deftly sliced it into tiny little strips. I also took a small shallot and minced about a quarter of it. I then took out a wide, flat sauté pan (a wok would've been better, though) and heated up a 3:1 ratio of extra virgin olive oil (or as Rachael Ray would say, EVOO) to sesame oil. Once the oil sizzled, I threw the shallots and brussel sprout into the pan and fried the mixture it until it was golden brown and crispy, and then sprinkled the finished result with kosher salt. All I can say is, my stomach is glad that brussel sprout did not wind up in the garbage.

As us foodies know, once we start cooking often, it can be hard to stop. When it's been four or five days since I've made an omelet, or even cut up a stalk of celery, an itch starts to form in my stomach that does not warn my body of hunger, but of its need to "create," a joy to which I have become addicted. There's something soul-warming about making something new out of boring ingredients, especially since it comes with the satisfying "mmm's" and "OH MY GOD THAT'S SO GOOD!'s" of the family and friends. So I promised myself to cook or bake at least one dish or dessert every week, to satisfy my addiction to "creating." Because this week is ending soon, I'll be making cookies tomorrow: the ultimate snack, dessert, and comfort food. I simply can't wait for those chewy, decadent ginger spice cookies I'll be baking up tomorrow: the perfect light end to a long Friday night meal. It does call for a lot of crystallized ginger, though, so we may not have enough in the kitchen. Luckily, for those last-minute disasters, we have a supermarket right around the corner that sells one's basic pantry items. Alternatively, I'm also sorely tempted to quote Alton Brown on this one: "Fine. I'll make my own."