the *new* me (well, kinda)

This post has nothing to do with my studies or the Middle East.

It's something a little more personal.

I have always wanted to be able to cook. I am usually pretty creative, whether it be painting or just using a hot glue gun, but letting my creativity come out in cooking, or even preparing food, is at the very least extremely intimidating. In my mind, I can, and always will, mess something up -- between measuring oil, tasting the food, the physics of boiling water, the colors of something cooked, the art of seasoning, having control over knives... I'm already getting goosebumps. Luckily, I will have lived *on-campus* all four years of undergrad, therefore I haven't even had a kitchen of my own to entertain these fears.

So... I'm tackling them now.

And it's so much fun!

Of course, I'm taking baby, baby steps. We're talking right out of the womb. But, thanks to my first kitchen (minus an oven - but the stove is sufficing), and my roommate Lili who loves to cook and experiment, I am being introduced to a whole new world. 

The first step, which I'm still working on, is making the grocery list. Why would I ever know what I need to eat or drink (besides Diet Coke) when every meal is prepared for me at the sorority house or at the Student Union? I'm also not big on spending extra money, so I stick to what's already provided -- Miss Annie's and Miss Martha's amazing cooking and a meal plan. 

Jump forward to Oman: My first grocery trip was a disaster, on top of the added obstacles of being in a foreign country, in the market on Friday when every Omani and their entire tribe goes, which also means constantly avoiding harassment and staring, as well as navigating through LuLu, a store twice the size of the average Wal*Mart Supercenter where aisles aren't exactly arranged in the most logical way. For example, Tang has nearly an entire aisle dedicated to its many flavors of powder, rice has an entire aisle, and so do mangoes. 

Anyway, I ended up with Special K, Nutella, a loaf of bread, and Diet Coke. The absolute necessities. But, nothing to cook for dinner, etc.

Since then, Lili has been making every sort of pasta, sauce, and vegetable known to my feeble brain. So, today, on my second pilgrimage to LuLu, I tackled the produce section. I bought lemons, limes, apples, grapes, avocados, tomatoes, garlic, cantaloupe, pineapple, and onion. This took me quite awhile, but I am still feeling pretty accomplished.

And, I have now reaped the seeds of my labor (metaphorically speaking, because it was more fun than anything). I made some simple guacamole, a fruit salad (maybe salad is a euphemism for just mixed fruit), and (real) strawberry lemonade for the first time ever. 

Lili showed me up with some delicious butter cream icing. She was craving cupcakes all day, so she satisfied it in the best way possible, considering we don't have an oven.

So, here's what I've checked off my list:

-using a sharp knife and cutting board

-slicing and dicing fruit (some of it kind of difficult)

-eye-balling measurements (no measuring cups)

-breaking away from a recipe (guacamole only, but still)

-mixing

-tasting and adding (learned a tricky lesson from this - add less than you think you'll need... you can keep adding, but not always take away, hence the extra tomato in the guacamole)

From here on out, Lili and I are going to attempt one new cooking project each week. I have a couple simple ideas, but this is where I was hoping all *four* of you readers would come in. 

Any suggestions?