I realize I disappeared for a bit. Ok, for almost four months. Without notice.
It's a key struggle, which I realize balancing profession and passion is a petty complaint compared to juggling things like job and family, or finances and necessities. But Albert Camus once said that pain is a gas, great or small it fills a room. I think that applies beyond just pain.
While I was gone, I did not have time or access to my kitchen to experiment, but I was able to try some interesting foods and learn a little along the way. And I continued my self-education in flavor, texture, and techniques.
One food I ate A LOT was soup. Soup is comforting, versatile, and flavorful. My favorite soup right now is lentil. I learned how to make it in the traditional Arab way (my favorite), which is much thinner and And get this, it is EASY to make. Seriously!
You need the following: small lentils (the orange kind--I brought mine back from the Middle East but you can get them at most stores), part of a yellow onion, stock or broth (chicken, beef, veggie or combo), cumin, (I also add cayenne pepper), lemon, mint, cilantro, salt and pepper:
So I used about 1 c. lentils for 4 c. broth. I had to add water, so I would say maybe 2/3 c. - 3/4 c. lentils for 4 c. broth. I sauteed about 2/3 onion minced in the bottom of a large pan. After they were nice and golden and mushy, I added the broth and lentils. Let it simmer; add cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper to taste. Keep simmering until the lentils are almost dissolved into the soup. The soup should still be relatively thin. This will take about 40 minutes.
Finely chop the cilantro and chiffonade the mint. Add. Right before serving, squeeze the lemon in individual soup bowls for added freshness.
And serve--it's that simple!
It's a key struggle, which I realize balancing profession and passion is a petty complaint compared to juggling things like job and family, or finances and necessities. But Albert Camus once said that pain is a gas, great or small it fills a room. I think that applies beyond just pain.
While I was gone, I did not have time or access to my kitchen to experiment, but I was able to try some interesting foods and learn a little along the way. And I continued my self-education in flavor, texture, and techniques.
One food I ate A LOT was soup. Soup is comforting, versatile, and flavorful. My favorite soup right now is lentil. I learned how to make it in the traditional Arab way (my favorite), which is much thinner and And get this, it is EASY to make. Seriously!
You need the following: small lentils (the orange kind--I brought mine back from the Middle East but you can get them at most stores), part of a yellow onion, stock or broth (chicken, beef, veggie or combo), cumin, (I also add cayenne pepper), lemon, mint, cilantro, salt and pepper:
So I used about 1 c. lentils for 4 c. broth. I had to add water, so I would say maybe 2/3 c. - 3/4 c. lentils for 4 c. broth. I sauteed about 2/3 onion minced in the bottom of a large pan. After they were nice and golden and mushy, I added the broth and lentils. Let it simmer; add cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper to taste. Keep simmering until the lentils are almost dissolved into the soup. The soup should still be relatively thin. This will take about 40 minutes.
Finely chop the cilantro and chiffonade the mint. Add. Right before serving, squeeze the lemon in individual soup bowls for added freshness.
No comments:
Post a Comment