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This week I’ve discovered a new way for me to meditate and relax after a long and, or stressful day. We all have them and clearly I’m no exception! No matter how crazy or mad the day I can’t wait to get home and cook. Yes, I said cook!
It’s at this point that you’re shaking your head and saying, “he’s lost it now, yep lost it completely!” At first there was a level of accomplishment and even a little enjoyment when I cooked, but strangely its only recently that I truly realized not only do I like to cook but also feel drawn to it…even when I didn’t have the kids and just cooking for me.
Yikes!!
Often on weekends, after yoga class I find myself pulling out the cookbooks and perusing the pages (yes, mostly Italian but not all) over a steaming cup of coffee and wondering what recipe I’m going to experiment with that night. Once I have my list of ingredients I’m off to my favorite grocery store to seek out what I need… I find even this process fun; yes I know I’m crazy (btw that’s your outside voice!) ☺
Now don’t get me wrong, nothing makes a parent more contented than seeing their kids enjoy their meals and have second helpings, or in Zach’s case sometimes thirds. In fact, it’s gotten to the point that when I actually feel like going out for dinner, and its about this point that they generally reply that they’d prefer to stay in and then proceed to give me their meal orders. Ha!
Of course, neither of them have the same tastes in food, and if they do its pretty plain fare. Zach is not a spicy food type guy, and a little timid about trying new dishes whereas Sami is the complete foodie in our household and loves pretty much any type of food and is definitely willing to give anything a try.
Yes, I realize I’ve created my very own monsters but at least I know the ingredients and feel like it’s a good compromise in terms of the food quality and overall healthiness of the meal. Depending on the amount of time I have to prepare and deliver a meal sort of fit into a couple of categories. There are those meals best suited for mid week (30 min or less) then on a weekend meals that take between 1 – 1.5 hours over a glass or two of wine (great for experimenting) or the open ended weekend extravaganza’s that could take all day…just simmering away. Trust me the house always smells divine after one of these type meals!
In fact this past Sunday I had decided to make my famous crockpot meatballs – slowly cooked over 8 hours. With the 30 or so minutes it takes to gather the ingredients, dice the vegetables as a prelude to the actual making of the meatballs it’s a bit of a labor of love, but I know this particular meal is top of Zach and Sami fav’s, and so it’s a fun recipe to make. Of course they were a hit, but in my eagerness I made too many and so ended up eating all of the meatballs over three days and a few meals – delicious yes, but now need a break from the meatballs. Lol!
So, I can hear you thinking what are the other specialties does TW have up his sleeve? Well, I make a mean Crab Cake so I’m told, as well as a fantastic Tuscan Ragu although for this one I don’t have the “real” ingredients that I'd enjoy if I lived in Italy…Cinghiale (wild boar) is really what makes it authentic Tuscan fare, but its such a simple one to make and if I have the right ingredients it takes 30 min or less and is absolutely delish! This one I know from memory I’ve made it so many times. In fact, often when the kids have been away and I haven’t seen them for a while they beg me to make this one for them – its their comfort food. So sweet, to have a dish so in demand!
Another classic Italian dish, this time care of Rachel Ray is her "Broken Spaghetti" meatballs. These oven roasted gems are a simple 30 min appetizer, but if you make them a little larger and then make your own home made tomato sauce it becomes something truly special.
Sami loves her Butter Chicken (Indian), but Zach not so much as its too spicy, so if Zach is out for dinner she’ll often ask me to make this one with Basmati rice (thank you to my great little rice cooker/steamer) and Nan bread. So flavorful and spicy – such a great change of pace!
I've always enjoyed Thai food and so I'm always trying recipes from my recently acquired cook book "Rosa's Thai Cafe" by Saiphin Moore. Take your time with these incredible dishes, and luxuriate in the experience, the smells and the wonderfully rich texture of her recipes. My personal favorite is the Green Curry with Chicken - see pp 78.
Okay, even as i write this my mouth is watering... If I don't stop I'm going to find myself back in the kitchen breaking out the pots and pans and making a second dinner!
Seriously, when I found myself single again I was a little intimidated given the my cooking skills were well and truly rusty - 16 years of not cooking very much other than the occasional BBQ is a life time, especially when I found that I now that to cook for three.
However, what surprised me most was that I fell in love with the art of cooking and the sheer enjoyment of creating new dishes and the intricacies and nuances that come with it - yes, I'm hooked!
Nope, I'm not your average guy, but hey, you already knew that - right...
Ciao Ciao!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Hanoi Posting” A series of fictional micro-stories by Terence Wallis
Come visit "Hanoi Posting" at its new home! New episodes added
This week I've opened my archives to discover some great photos, this weeks are from my recent trips to San Francisco.
Enjoy!
TW
Facebook - Google+ - Twitter - Instagram - LinkedIn - ImageBrief - National Geographic
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It’s at this point that you’re shaking your head and saying, “he’s lost it now, yep lost it completely!” At first there was a level of accomplishment and even a little enjoyment when I cooked, but strangely its only recently that I truly realized not only do I like to cook but also feel drawn to it…even when I didn’t have the kids and just cooking for me.
Yikes!!
Often on weekends, after yoga class I find myself pulling out the cookbooks and perusing the pages (yes, mostly Italian but not all) over a steaming cup of coffee and wondering what recipe I’m going to experiment with that night. Once I have my list of ingredients I’m off to my favorite grocery store to seek out what I need… I find even this process fun; yes I know I’m crazy (btw that’s your outside voice!) ☺
Now don’t get me wrong, nothing makes a parent more contented than seeing their kids enjoy their meals and have second helpings, or in Zach’s case sometimes thirds. In fact, it’s gotten to the point that when I actually feel like going out for dinner, and its about this point that they generally reply that they’d prefer to stay in and then proceed to give me their meal orders. Ha!
Of course, neither of them have the same tastes in food, and if they do its pretty plain fare. Zach is not a spicy food type guy, and a little timid about trying new dishes whereas Sami is the complete foodie in our household and loves pretty much any type of food and is definitely willing to give anything a try.
Yes, I realize I’ve created my very own monsters but at least I know the ingredients and feel like it’s a good compromise in terms of the food quality and overall healthiness of the meal. Depending on the amount of time I have to prepare and deliver a meal sort of fit into a couple of categories. There are those meals best suited for mid week (30 min or less) then on a weekend meals that take between 1 – 1.5 hours over a glass or two of wine (great for experimenting) or the open ended weekend extravaganza’s that could take all day…just simmering away. Trust me the house always smells divine after one of these type meals!
In fact this past Sunday I had decided to make my famous crockpot meatballs – slowly cooked over 8 hours. With the 30 or so minutes it takes to gather the ingredients, dice the vegetables as a prelude to the actual making of the meatballs it’s a bit of a labor of love, but I know this particular meal is top of Zach and Sami fav’s, and so it’s a fun recipe to make. Of course they were a hit, but in my eagerness I made too many and so ended up eating all of the meatballs over three days and a few meals – delicious yes, but now need a break from the meatballs. Lol!
So, I can hear you thinking what are the other specialties does TW have up his sleeve? Well, I make a mean Crab Cake so I’m told, as well as a fantastic Tuscan Ragu although for this one I don’t have the “real” ingredients that I'd enjoy if I lived in Italy…Cinghiale (wild boar) is really what makes it authentic Tuscan fare, but its such a simple one to make and if I have the right ingredients it takes 30 min or less and is absolutely delish! This one I know from memory I’ve made it so many times. In fact, often when the kids have been away and I haven’t seen them for a while they beg me to make this one for them – its their comfort food. So sweet, to have a dish so in demand!
Another classic Italian dish, this time care of Rachel Ray is her "Broken Spaghetti" meatballs. These oven roasted gems are a simple 30 min appetizer, but if you make them a little larger and then make your own home made tomato sauce it becomes something truly special.
Sami loves her Butter Chicken (Indian), but Zach not so much as its too spicy, so if Zach is out for dinner she’ll often ask me to make this one with Basmati rice (thank you to my great little rice cooker/steamer) and Nan bread. So flavorful and spicy – such a great change of pace!
I've always enjoyed Thai food and so I'm always trying recipes from my recently acquired cook book "Rosa's Thai Cafe" by Saiphin Moore. Take your time with these incredible dishes, and luxuriate in the experience, the smells and the wonderfully rich texture of her recipes. My personal favorite is the Green Curry with Chicken - see pp 78.
Okay, even as i write this my mouth is watering... If I don't stop I'm going to find myself back in the kitchen breaking out the pots and pans and making a second dinner!
Seriously, when I found myself single again I was a little intimidated given the my cooking skills were well and truly rusty - 16 years of not cooking very much other than the occasional BBQ is a life time, especially when I found that I now that to cook for three.
However, what surprised me most was that I fell in love with the art of cooking and the sheer enjoyment of creating new dishes and the intricacies and nuances that come with it - yes, I'm hooked!
Nope, I'm not your average guy, but hey, you already knew that - right...
Ciao Ciao!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Hanoi Posting” A series of fictional micro-stories by Terence Wallis
Come visit "Hanoi Posting" at its new home! New episodes added
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This week I've opened my archives to discover some great photos, this weeks are from my recent trips to San Francisco.
Enjoy!
TW
 |
| Amazing Burmese food (309 Clement Street, San Francisco) - the best in SF! |
 |
| Another impressive mural in downtown San Francisco...just too many to count |
 |
| The lick of cloud washes over the Marin Headlands and the Golden Gate bridge |
 |
| A freighter off the Pacific Ocean sneaks into San Francisco bay under the cover of the cloud |
 |
| Making its way past Alcatraz toward Oakland |
 |
| The California climate is very similar to Australia with lots of Eucalyptus |
 |
| Pressed tin ceilings during a late lunch at Fort Baker - reminds me of my childhood |
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| My new best mate...this pelican plopped himself down next to me thinking that perhaps I had food...but alas only a camera! |
 |
| Sun rays thru the elevated road leading to the Golden Gate Bridge - taken from Vista Point |
 |
| Coit Tower in the distance - my next objective! To walk SF you need to be part mountain goat....seriously :-) |
 |
| Sunset from the base of Coit Tower - looking back toward the Golden Gate in the distance. It was so beautiful and the temperature perfect! |
 |
| A heavily loaded oil tanker making its way into San Francisco bay from the Pacific Ocean |
 |
| The view of China Beach taken from the Lands End trail |
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| The mighty Golden Gate Bridge in all her glory! Such an unforgettable landmark |
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