Cooking 101

Well folks, it's come that time. 30 something years (hehe) of my life later, I decide to take an interest in cooking. This may seem similar to a blog I wrote a little over a year ago about my discovery of steaming. That changed my eating life and a year or so later, it came a time for change. As steaming isn't that difficult, really, buy fresh chicken (yes, as odd as it sounds, I steam chicken) and fish along with some veggies (carrots, broccoli, zuccini), slice it up, and then just place it on the steamer. Wah-la, how easy can it get? Hence, my obsession with it. HOWEVER, no joke, more than a year later of ONLY doing steaming, literally just alternating steamed chicken and fish and some veggies, when I came back from my recent trip, I literally wanted to vomit at the thought of steaming. Can I say burned out? Once I realized that eating should be enjoyable, it came time for a change.

From last year when I was telling everyone who would listen about my steaming, one word kept on coming up over and over again. I ignored it and said, "wait wait wait, one thing at at time." But then once this magic word was mentioned when I was going through my steaming revolt, my ears perked up and I actually listened and thought, "hey, this doesn't sound too bad... maybe I'll give it a try." What's this magic word? ROASTING!!!!!

Besides the usual surprise of me not ever cooking until I came to Dubai, then that I steam chicken, that I only ate steamed food for a year, this one was the kicker - I've never EVER used an oven. BUT, to give myself a teeny weeny bit of credit, I've never seen my mom use an oven either (confirmed with her later) and when I think about my childhood, I won't deny the oven was used, but very rarely - usually for the typical Serbian dish of gibanitza (yummmy). So as obsessions go, one free weekend I decided to give it a go. Actually, the prep wasn't too different from steaming, BUT you can be more fun with roasting... with the chicken you can put onions on it, lemon, seasoning, sooo many different things!

I had a kind of sitcom type moment with the oven itself. When I turned it on, all I heard was a fan, and just left it at that. Then 15 min later I check, and the oven is dead cold. What? I play around with it and still nothing. I had a brief moment of panic because I had everything for my 1st roast ready to go, so I decided to call the maintenance to have it checked. Yes, I really did! The oven didn't looked even used at all, and I didn't want to risk any explosions or anything. A few minutes later the trusted maintenance guy comes around and trying not to look too stupid, I just say it's not working (not saying I don't know how to use it!). Thank gawd that it took him several attempts (phew, at least it wasn't just one!) to turn it on... ah ha! A upper and lower little fire was lit. At that point I didn't even know if it was electric or gas (gas), he he. So after it was up and running, I felt I still have some prep to do so I turned it off and he merrily left, as this was a very easy work call.

When I'm nearing to be done, I remember to pre-heat the oven (Seeeeeeee?) and.... nothing. What? I try and try and nothing. It was just working like 10 minutes ago! I then get my little lighter and try, and nothing. So I then call a friend and we are talking through it as I'm fumbling around. Then she stops mid-sentence and says, "where are you?" I say "I'm trying to light the oven" and then she asks if it's gas or electric and how I was lighting it. "My head's in the oven, I'm trying to light the little flame here." And then she starts shouting (rightly!), "get your head out of the oven! You could accidentally turn on something and it can explode in your face!" I didn't even realize how stupid I was by literally having my head in the oven trying to light the stupid oven! OMG (yes, I am blond!). I of course then felt then lightheaded and slightly dizzy after this and slightly panicked, but I'm still alive and well and somehow I got the oven turned on, without gassing myself. Phew!

Then with the trusted help over skype of my friend (all the way from NYC), I successfully completed my 1st ever roast, and it was delicious!!!

Can I just say how roasted onions are the Best.Thing.Ever?1??!? Soooo good!!!!

Sooo.... I'm not a profesh, so I always forget to take pictures of what I've made, but since that time I've done a couple of different variations of the roasted chicken, roasted beef last weekend, and made some soups also! Broccoli soup and carrot soup. Majority has turned out A-okay and yummy! I now like to eat food again and don't have an aversion to it. Yay! I'm in this phase roasting phase now, but I know I will get back to steaming after a little detox of it and will do a combo thing. 

Of course, with cooking, there is always potential for disasters, and I've made some common mistakes (besides not knowing how to turn on the oven, ha!).

-Forgetting to put on the timer and burning things . Oopsy!

-Forgetting to lower the temp after it is pre-heated to a normal temp and again, burning things. Oopsy!

-Forgetting to add some olive oil or even seasoning to the veggies or chicken to keep it moist. Oopsy!

Sooo.... nothing like some trial and error and experimenting! Now I'm somewhat motivated on the experimenting side of things and am going to try bean burgers this weekend (gasp!) and another soup (I love ze soups! It's something I grew up with and I REALLY enjoy). 

I have to admit I'm quite proud of myself with this! Whenever I leave Dubai and someone asks what I've taken away from the experience, a big one will be learning how to cook! My interest is now here and my fear is (kinda) gone. I do have to admit I am excessively using google to find out what some ingredients are and what some cooking terminology means (pulsing? Eh?).... but these things take time and practice. 

Bon Appetit!