Monthly Archives: August 2008

Cooking

★ Posted on at 10:15 pm ★

seafood stew

This is the best pic of the lot. Was inspired by Fifteen restaurant’s Wicked Sicilian Seafood Stew. Heh, it wasn’t bad, but not something I’d pay close to $40 for. So I decided to make my own.

Went to the market like a man on a mission, and grabbed all my ingredients without even flinching an eyelash. Spent $20 on seafood and got some rockling fish, fresh prawns, mussels and squid.

Got some rainbow trout bones I had kept from a couple of months ago. Used that to make a stock and while that was boiling away, I started cleaning up the mussels and preparing the other ingredients.

Heh, other than the stock, cooking time was pretty quick, due to the quick cooking time of seafood. Served with slices of toasted sour dough. It tastes better than it looks.

* * *

The kitchen is better stocked these days, with cans and bottles of various stuff useful for different dishes. I’m feeling more comfortable with different ingredients these days, how to cook them and how to get them to taste nice. Heh, there are still times I’d just throw everything into the frying pan to just get rid of it, but these days I’m a little more discerning in what items go together.

Too many interests to keep me occupied. The appointments with recruitment agencies are trickling in, and there are job openings. I just want to clinch me an interview now so I can try hard to convince people to hire me.

On a side note, doing more calculations and learning financial bits and pieces. All those quadratic formulas from highschool are coming back to me. Heh, if only I was smarter back then, as I find these things easier to understand now. Then maybe I wouldn’t have to stress out on those monthly math exams back then.

Heh, everything makes sense in hindsight I suppose.

Starting August

★ Posted on at 12:25 am ★

There’s a lingering smell of deep fried oil in the living room at this moment. Was cooking pork chops seasoned with pepper and salt, dipped in flour, egg and panko (Japanese bread crumbs). The way I do things is that practice makes perfect. Heh, I’m naturally gifted in being persistent, so I figure things out sooner or later. Just like taking photos, it applies to cooking and everything else I do. Trying to apply that to my CFA studies now, since 80% is the passing mark, I’ll just need to keep practicing questions until I get less than 20% wrong.

Just like to cook these days. I’ll try various recipes. Sort of building up an inventory list in the pantry. Have various meats frozen in freezer for impromptu meals. I have plenty of ingredients now that if I didn’t run to the grocery store, I’d be able to whip up an instant dinner that’s not quite instant (instant noodles or those strange frozen dinners sold in stores).

I want to cook mussels with Belgian beer, cream and lots of fresh parsley. I would also like to be able to make a duck dish. Eyed that squid ink pasta not too long ago, which I don’t mind turning into some form of marinara pasta dish.

* * *

Food aside, job interviews have not been very forthcoming. It’s kind of a tough market at the moment, and I’m also being picky about the line of work I’d like to continue working in. Still don’t see myself feeling very comfortable in a business suit, but I’ve spent all my life studying and having graduated from university, you really want to put that into good use. Don’t see myself doing anything else. Wonder what it’d be like if I took up graphic design, and I’d be doing advertisements or creative drawings. Something artsy fartsy. Lately I’ve also been interested at working in the kitchen of a fine dining restaurant. I wonder what it must be like, and it would be cool to work one’s way up and learning new cooking techniques, as well as inventing your own menus. I think I relate to food well, heh, although I’m probably just as good at crunching numbers if I have to.

Strangely, I feel at ease, even if a little impatient at the jobless scenario. In a way, I still get to choose. Not many people get the opportunity to do what they want. Others just follow through their jobs, for you need to put food on the table. Lots to ponder at times.

* * *

Ideas sort of in limbo for this month. Will move along with personal projects while juggling job hunting, studying and cooking. Heh, exciting enough for me to get by.