Cooking up a storm

Whilst Mum and Dad were here they bought me an electric hob so I can finally do some proper cooking, I recently decided I was fed up of microwave cooking. It's meant I can finally start buying raw meat to cook with - I might actually start utilising the market across the street for once! 

Being able to cook in an actual pan (that has genuinely been a cause of envy towards some of my friends) is allowing me to be much more adventurous in the things I try to cook and it's nice knowing exactly what is in my food for a change instead of leaving it in the hands of one of the many eateries around me. Mind you, 8 months without cooking is a bit strange and my first meal was a bit of a charcoaled disaster. But since then it's been stir-fry galore.

My little kitchen

So far, there have been a couple of note. I've managed to make salsa, quite successfully but it's really hard finding the right herbs here. Salad is something I've also managed to start making because I can now boil eggs without fear of them exploding in the microwave. My first salad in 8 months (it's not something the Chinese eat) genuinely made me sing with happiness and contentment, I didn't think salad would ever have that effect on me. I also cooked with raw tomatoes (of my own accord) for the first time in my life, they are normally something I avoid touching like the plague. But don't get excited Mum, I don't intend on eating them raw anytime soon. I used the tomatoes to make a lovely - if I do say so myself - chicken and vegetable casserole. 

I've also discovered millet as a good grain in place of much sought after couscous - I don't think it exists here. I also learned that millet used to be the grain of choice for the population before they started eating rice instead.

And my attempt to make a soya bean version of hummus went up in smoke (literally). I got bored of waiting for thr beans to cook and went to chat to Tom and by the time I came bank I'd stank the 8th floor out with smoke and was left with some very burnt beans. The unburnt ones were tasty though so attempt two will take place very soon.

Being able to cook has also reinforced my desire to do a chinese cooking course whilst I'm here, but they are proving surprisingly tricky to find...

G x