i {heart} cooking

I have always loved to cook.  It makes me happy to think about new recipe ideas from the countless cooking shows that I love to watch.  I enjoy planning menus and shopping for ingredients.  I also enjoy challenging myself to whip up something that only uses the stuff I already have in the pantry.  And it gives me a huge sense of achievement when I cook something that can be turned to something totally different the next day.  One successful example is when I cooked beef stew and then used the beef to make a pie the next day. 

Having to cook lunch and dinner daily(before the start of the fasting month, of course), I really have to have a huge repertoire of recipes since I don't want to serve the same food all the time.  Pete doesn't really mind eating the same things - he is a huge fan of fried rice and pasta and wouldn't mind eating those two dishes every day.  But I want to take a chance and try out new recipes that I have collected or come across.  Sometimes the recipes work beautifully but there are also times when they don't turn out as good as I hoped.  Then I would either try again after tweaking the recipes or simply chuck them into the 'never again' bin.

Sometimes I don't have a recipe to follow and simply use my instincts.  It has been super hot the past few days and I had a craving for watermelons.  We bought a huge wedge and once we got home, I cut half of it into chunks and put them into the freezer and the rest were sliced into wedges.  The wedges were for us to eat but the chucks were to be used in a refreshing slushie.  I thought the drink would be very suitable to break our fast with.  I've never made it before but I had a rough idea on how to put it together. 

I had Pete to blend the frozen cubes of watermelon and then simply add sparkling water to make the drink.  It was not easy to blend the cubes but once the drink was done and once we were able to drink, we knew it was worth the effort.  The slushie was really refreshing and had such a pronounced watermelon flavour.  I would want to try adding some mint next time.  I think it will elevate the flavours even more.  If the watermelon isn't too sweet, maybe some simple sugar syrup would make it taste better.  I might also try to drop one or two slices of lemon to add yet another dimension to the drink.

In this month of Ramadan, I do enjoy coming up with menus that makes the most out of the ingredients we have and that complement the weather and our mood.  I think it is important that we reward ourselves with something good to eat since we only get to eat that one meal each day.  And, since I have a lot of time on my hands every day, I make sure I bake something sweet for dessert.  I guess I have been so used to the wide variety of food that is served when we have iftar back home.  And it's really nice to end the meal with something sweet.

So, what would I be cooking today?  Well, after writing about my love of cooking, I have to say that I am taking a break today.  Pete has offered to cook his world famous (or so he likes to think) chili.  It's going to be a bit strange not having to cook, but I am not staying away from the kitchen.  I will be making dessert.  You might think of it as a reward for him for cooking.  But really, when it comes to dessert, the happiest person is me.