A New Kitchen

I have always loved to cook and I thought I could cook when I was state side, but what I have uncovered over the past few months is that I can put pre-made things together but cooking is another story. I have no idea how to use spices, make sauces, or mix flavors. So yet another part of the Peace Corps journey that I was unprepared for starts.

Of course this isn’t something that I had time to realize in college, because then I was lucky enough if I had time to eat. Also I have so many fresh fruits and veggie all year round. Things like eggplant, turnips and beets which are not so easy to come by in Wisconsin and they are normal everyday food here.

So now I am first trying to figure out what I need with the help of online recipes and then having to figure out how to find them in the little shops on the corner or the open aired market, no easy task mind you. It’s not like at Piggly Wiggly where everything is nicely labeled, here you either need to know the name (in Arabic or Chillha) or what it looks like. At this point, 4 months into living on my own, I feel like I have an adequate kitchen. If could be that Mom and Brenda where just here and they brought me a garlic press, veggie peeler, and potholders. :)

So I have started down this new journey of trying to figure out how to make some of my favorite foods. I have master Spaghetti Sauce, Alfredo Sauce, Honey Mustard Sauce, Lemon Bars, Sugar Cookies, Stir Fry, Zucchini Carrot Burgers, and plenty of other things that one would think were easy to make.

Of course now being out of the states for 9 months I am starting to have those cravings for the things that you don’t eat all the time but those things that once and a while are really great to have, such as; cheesecake, sweet and sour sauce, egg rolls, potatoes au gratin, corn bread and most other things that until this point I have eaten at a restaurant or made from a box.

I recently tried to make sweet and sour sauce and it was ok. I think if I work a little harder I could perfect the recipe. I also made cheesecake which would have turned out better if I had an electric oven, but such is life and it still tasted good. I am on to bigger things like stuffed eggplant and au gratin sauces next week, inshallah (hopefully). Wish me luck! :)