Cooking!!!!!!!!!

I got the kitchen all geared up and cleaned up.

Woks, frying pans, magic hot plate, cutting boards, garlic press, plates, bowls.... it looks like a family lives there and the kitchen has the finesse of a woman's touch along with the industrial power of a man. (Metal shelving units stacked up to the ceiling, steel S hooks everywhere, wall hooks mounted in every direction.)

Tonight, I went with a friend and we cooked together.
He knew a recipe for what I can only describe as a zuchinni hamburger.

My words do it no justice. How can anyone but a famous poet describe a famous painting?
The taste was legendary, but it was so simple too. I WILL be making this again!

My kitchen is serious, you know it the moment you walk in and see TWO rice cookers and TWO crock pots.

Yesterday, I started a crock pot soup. Here you can get duck leg for 8.50 RMB for 500g.
(That's like $1.20 per pound-ish) Cilantro, carrots, leafy greens.. But what really makes it good is this little packet of flavoring that is labeled 'DELICIOUS SOUP" - that's the only English part on the package, and when I saw that in the store, I thought "Well, that's exactly what I want!"

So I said, "Get IN to my basket! I am taking you home."

I had a taste. As my grandpa would compliment any fine dish, "It's good enough to eat!"
HA! My mom hated it when he said that. "What do you think of my wonderful dinner that I spent 3 hours preparing and only used the finest spices and this secret recipe book to make?"

"Hmm" (sip) "It's good enough to EAT!"

I'm very happy to be cooking again. This means that I'll be eating a little healthier.
Chinese food (most common complaint among foreigners) is TOO OILY!


Unlike most foreigners, I love Chinese food. It's good stuff. It's good enough to eat!
However, I also miss things that taste like America.

People sometimes ask me to define American food. I can't. America is a melting pot. I crave burritos that originated in Mexico. I miss pasta that came from Italy. I miss breads from France. I miss Mediterranean dishes. It's all fusion food, really.

American food is apple pie, hot dogs, tacos, burritos, CHEESE (anything with cheese), hamburgers, nachos, enchiladas, black bean soup, ham omelets, bacon, cream, sour cream, milk, chili...

I can't really cook many things, but I can run a mean crock pot! Throw meat and veggies in a pot, plug it in, add some 'DELICIOUS SOUP" mix, and BAM! I have delicious soup!

I'm going to be eating a lot of soup.