Update on the Saudi Arabian food

Well, my first attempt at making my own pita bread was successful in that it was very tasty. However, my pita did not have pockets. So we wrapped our falafel up like a taco and enjoyed them. Next week, I’ll try again, this time not flattening the dough so much.

My spice rack has welcomed five new jars of spices to the mix.

And we are happy.

Inspiration for Experimentation

After having seen Julie & Julia twice this weekend, I’ve been inspired to try something new with food. Friends and I discussed various world cuisines as we left the theater–which we like, which we don’t like–and I decided to pick a country and spend a month learning about its food. So I’m going to spend September researching Saudi food, and I’ll try cooking things like al-kabsa and sambousek (and eat my fill of falafel and hummus and baba ganoush). I’ve found two cookbooks and a few recipes online. My first task is to try making my own pita bread. I’ll let you know if I find any of the recipes super delicious.

I have never been to Saudi Arabia, and at this point in my life, I don’t know a single person from that country. Nevertheless, I think I will learn to love the food.

I AM SO EXCITED!

One of the wonderful things about losing our hard drive is that Jeff and I have spent the last, um…, five hours looking through all of the backup CDs we made while we had our laptop. I discovered a little folder of recipes I had saved, and several of them were ones I had since lost. So here they are, happy to be home again.

Last week we got about ten pounds of grilled tofu from the food bank. It was marinated in some kind of brown sauce, but the sauce has very little flavor. It’s already cut into 1-inch cubes. Any ideas? Same rules apply.

CALLING ALL CHEFS

I have a challenge for you. Let me explain it.

This last winter, I visited our local food bank because they were looking for volunteer teachers. They wanted people who could help the food bank customers make meals out of the food they’ve been given. “So here’s a bag of peppers, and here are some great ways you can cook them….” That kind of thing. Even though I knew that creating simple recipes was something I would really love to do, I decided not to volunteer at that point because I was so incredibly busy.

Then my husband lost his job.

Then summer came, and I was out of a job.

Then on Tuesday, I became one of the food bank customers myself.

Finding those recipes is suddenly a very pressing matter.

So here is my challenge for you. Over the next few months, I’ll give you some ingredients and see what you can make out of them.

Challenge #1: You have one dollar and a 10-pound sack of potatoes. You do not need to use that dollar to buy: oil, salt, or pepper. Give me one recipe. Let’s see how creative you can be.

One thing I realized I could make was my Tortilla de Patatas recipe. One onion is 79 cents, and this recipe only calls for one tablespoon of chopped onion. Eggs are 99 cents a dozen, and this recipe calls for three.

What can you do?

NORTHWEST AIRLINES: Update

Tonight I am searching the internet for about 50 recipes, the ones I could remember off the top of my head. I heard this last week that my luggage is officially gone. They’ll be sending me a check in the next week or so. If I find any of the recipes online tonight, I will put them on my blog as soon as possible.

NORTHWEST AIRLINES: Keep your fingers crossed

I haven’t been updating my blog lately because all of my favorite recipes disappeared somewhere in between Denver and Detroit. My binder of personal recipes and notes was in my suitcase when I flew home for Christmas, and my suitcase never arrived, and still hasn’t arrived. I made a list of as many recipe titles as I could remember, just in case the book is never returned to me.

Meanwhile, I am so grateful for my blog. Especially for the Korean recipes I saved on here that could never be replaced.

I have thirty days or so before they give up looking for the suitcase and just give me some money for all of my lost items. Unfortunately, documents and manuscripts are irreplacable–they aren’t covered under Northwest’s insurance policy. So I am hoping, hoping, hoping that I will see that little brown binder again.

DDUKBOKGI: This one’s for you, Angela

This is Angela waiting in line at our favorite ddukbokgi stand in Seoul. I miss our Friday afternoon tradition. No one does ddukbokgi better than our lady across from the fruit stand.

CHINESE: Quick Fried Rice

My goal is to take this recipe and add zucchini, carrots, and maybe pickled radish to make a Korean version.

1 cup water
1 1/3 cup minute rice
3 TBSP Earth Balance Margarine
1 egg, beaten (or 6-8 oz. meat/vegemeat of choice)
1/3 cup onions, chopped
3 TBSP Bragg Liquid Aminos
1/3 cup water

1. Boil the one cup of water and add the rice; stir and let stand for five minutes, covered.
2. Melt the Earth Balance in a skillet.
3. Add the egg or meat; cook until set or cooked through.
4. Add the onions and rice; cook until slightly browned.
5. Mix the Bragg’s and 1/3 cup water. Add to the rice. Simmer five minutes and serve.

ARTICLES: Sojourners

Sojourners has four good articles in this month’s edition.

All We Hunger For by Julie Polter. Good food is much more than a matter of taste.

Grub for Body and Soul by Molly Marsh. An interview with food activists Anna Lappe and Bryant Terry.

Shopping for Justice by Bethany Spicher Schonberg. My journey with Super Giant.

‘Give Us This Day’ by Cathy C. Campbell. Simple – and radical – wisdom from the Lord’s Prayer.