Cooking Lessons

I had been working on my cooking skills recently, since usually J. is the cook of the house. My first meal was apple cabbage salad with cheddar cheese pasta. I was most excited about the 9 cent per pound cabbages found in my local supermarket for St. Patrick's Day. Overall, the dinner was good, but could be better.

For my second attempt, I wanted to try something different. I made this casserole based on adaptations of this recipe with Mexican notes.


The ingredients were canned whole tomatoes, canned corn, onions, raw black beans, cheddar, and bread crumbs. I would try to use more fresh food in the future, but I had stolen and expired canned tomatoes on hand. This meal was a trial and error. I first thought of making it with macaroni in the casserole. I had no idea if the canned foods and beans would cook in the oven, and decided to stew up the ingredients in a big pot. I eventually went with rice as I prepared to bake everything in the oven. These are the lessons learned:

1. Soak the beans overnight - I tried the "quick prep" instructions on the bag, but I failed to do the last step of boiling the beans for an additional hour. The beans in this casserole were definitely raw, and I paid for it dearly the next day.
2. Saute the onions before cooking - I thought about this as I put my chopped onions into the stew, wondering if they would boil with the canned tomato juice. Sauteing the onions (and garlic!) in oil would bring out the flavors first and foremost.
3. Chop up the tomatoes - Whole tomatoes in a can were pretty big. I started cutting one tomato in the pot of stew before I thought, "maybe this isn't such a good idea to scrape the sides of the pot with a knife." So I took out all the tomatoes and set up shop on the cutting board.
4. Shred the cheddar cheese - To save time, why bother shredding the cheese to spread on top of the casserole? Doesn't it melt anyway in the oven? Answer: It doesn't. The cheese only melts in chunks.
5. Butter the bread crumbs - I didn't know that doing this would make that wonderful golden brown color.
   

Jamaica

For my first adventure into temporary retirement, I went to Jamaica to visit Negril and Montego Bay. The beaches were beautiful, and the water was crystal clear.

During my time on this island, I was offered 3 things by the natives, nothing else:

• Pot
• Hair Braiding
• Taxi Rides

It definitely seemed like there was some culture missing, other than the idolization of Bob Marley. I tried ackee with cod below, knowing that raw ackee can induce Jamaican vomiting sickness.


I also tried jerk at the roadside ovens and at the Port Pit, one of the listings in 1,000 Places to See Before You Die. Surprisingly, one of the better dishes was served at the cafeteria of the Jamaican Tax Administration. Their tax day was 3/16/09, and the place was busting.

J. thought that we had a near death experience when the taxi van of 14 person capacity seated 25 people, and we zipped and zoomed along the mountain side at high speed. I thought it was a good rollercoaster with sights. I came back with a slight tan, and a pocket full of sand, yearning for warmer weather in Philly.

Ikea Savings Weekend

This weekend is free breakfast at Ikea, along with a host of promotional sales. This was my breakfast this morning, minus the cinnamon toast. I might be going back for jars and pots (and breakfast).

Mark Khaisman

Mark Khaisman uses an unlikely material to create art. He uses packing tape with a back light to create shadows in an image. I recently saw his work at the Fleischer Art Memorial:

Philadelphia Film Festival and Cinefest 2009

J and I recently volunteered to help with the Cinefest in Philadelphia. For every performance we usher, we also get to see a movie for free. Definitely let me know if you would like to volunteer with us, or if you'd like to see a free movie on me!