Sometimes when I cook

Sometimes when I cook and I finally take the first bite I am so elated i dunno what do with myself. I think sometimes I feel almost a tear coming. Is that wierd? Lol. Maybe. Sometimes I think about what I want to make days before I actually get to cook it, sometimes I come up with it at the moment, but maybe all the anticipation and that feeling of accomplishment just builds up and I end up happy. My food is sometimes really simple. And l like that I can make something really fast too. Some of my blog posts have featured stuff I have made. Don't get me wrong, sometimes I make stuff and it sucks. But most of the time, I am happy.

Here are photos of simple dishes I have made.

This quesadilla. So quesadillas are easily a good quick savory meal to make. I try to find good tortillas. These are just "handmade white corn with green chile" tortillas. I would rather learn how to makes tortilla from scratch bc I am almost positive it is super easy. (On my checklist. I'm already imagining fancy tortillas in the bear fugue. Masa (lye treated corn) and duck fat tortillas. ) Mmm! 

And then choose your own cheese: goat cheese, Brie and apples, a good cheeder. This one pictured has alive and wells' raw tempeh, goat cheese, and a roasted padron peppers inside. Secret to quesadilla? Don't overstuff. Don't put more than 3 ingredients in it. Press the tortillas  together while cooking. Let cool a little bit before slicing so cheese can become sticky. 

In the background: that's a homamade pineapple, ginger, Kalamansi keffir. It is slightly alcoholic and has probiotics. Dubbed the fountain of youth. You must try it. But making it is a whole another ritual that I enjoy. It includes feeding my starter every few days. Making sure I don't use metal around it becaus metal kills the good bacteria in it. Anyway you don't know how happy it makes me to realize I'm pretty much brewing something!

This is a fried rice. So.. Yeah. I get excited when I have leftover rice because that means I can make fried rice! Sweat onions, add garlic until aromatic, add meat, add day old rice, add veggies (kale, mushroom, green onion, even frozen veggies),  drizzle with soy sauce. Top with fresh herbs of basil or cilantro. I have million versions of fried rice because it's so flexible, but this a pork belly fried rice. 

Pork chops! Ok about the easiest trick but so good. All you have to do is marinate it for at least one night! Even just a simple white vinegar and garlic and tons of black pepper marinade makes a wonderful marinade. But you can change it up. Marinate your pork in a mixture of citrus of lemon, orange, and lime. Add a bay leaf, onion, and garlic. Add annato powder. That is a good achote (Spanish word for annato) pork.

Do you like Jamaican food? Ok. Marinate your pork chop. In the same trio of citrus of lemon, orange, and lime, garlic, soy sauce, onion, 1/4 of an orange scotch bonnet pepper, plus jerk seasoning. This will make the best jerk! This can work for chicken too. 

This one was pan fried in balsamic vinegar served with a creamy polenta.

BLAT 

Nothing like a good BLAT sandwich. I like it on a good sourdough. I chose arugula over iceberg. 

Salad

This blue cheese, tomato, spinach, almonds,and arugula chicken salad. I panned fried breast that was dredge in coconut flour. And then threw it on a salad. 

Gnocchi

Pan fried gnocchi with veggies. I purchase freshly ready made gnocchi, pan fry in a good olive oil and butter,  and add it to sautéed veggies.

Other fresh pastas. Ok. Ok. I keep dried pasta around for emergencies. But I highly recommend you get fresh pasta. Easier for you to digest. Less processed. And taste way better. Dried pasta. Tastes like well, dried pasta. I can rapidly whip up something tomato/meat sauce based. Don't forget to throw some wine in! Cream sauces are also easy to put together, all you need is a base such as cream, milk, almond milk, (I've even had to use plain yogurt). And then you throw grated cheese, a freshly cracked egg and stir like a crazy person. I like mine with smoked salmon for meat. But you can also do bacon. Lastly for fresh pasta; you can also do a naked pasta, just lemon, garlic, pepper, oil, and whatever else you please. Try adding nuts like almonds. And a green veggies. 

Breakfast! Potatoes! Meat. Eggs! To make hash: onions, mushroom, peppers, garlic, Italian herbs. I like to poach my eggs. That's a Marquez? Lamb pork sausage from the butcher (pasta shop in Oakland)

Snacks. I'll even make a rustic hummus somtimes (smooshed beans instead of completed blended, with diced, red onion, cilantro, parsley,  and lemon) or make a salsa (fired roasted canned whole tomatoes, onion, peppers, cilantro, blend-add lime if possible)