So, yes. I did, in fact, actually bake. I didn't pull the "oh it would be nice to start baking in theory" stunt. Just pulled out my first batch of chocolate chunk/chip cookies, which are huge because how would i know those dollops would expand into massive, flat... things. The dough tasted a bit salty for some reason, even though i put everything in exactly like the recipe said to, except I cut the sugar quantity in half, just like my mum always does. Cookies are successful in being crispy on the outside, soft and gooey on the inside, but they crumble a bit -why is that? Anything to do with the changed sugar to everything else ratio? And although the cookies are not quite as salty as the raw dough, they taste just a tad on the saltier side... I don't know. I feel a bit discouraged to be honest. Like how am I going to one day bake the world's most fabulous red velvet cake if I can't even get a batch of standard, run-of-the-mill chocolate chip cookies done right? Sigh.
I have a headache now. True, I did eat a massive Sunday buffet brunch at this Indian restaurant in the West Island that I had never been to before... fried fish, tandoori chicken, another kind of barbecued chicken, pakoras and puri-chaat... those were just the appetizers (I went up twice for these). Then three naan slices with aloo gobi, butter chicken, lamb curry and spicy chicken curry (this was in 2 plate-fulls). Then dessert of kheer and gulab jammun... that was done thrice. And a cup of chai. Then in making my cookies, I ate some cookie dough. Then of course once the cookies were made, even though I felt like I was going to explode, I had to try 3/4 of one, having already downed 2 glasses of water to compensate for the salty dough. Now I really feel bloated, sick, tired... I even did yoga this morning (but apparently not enough to prepare for all these obnoxious assaults on my body...).
Really... I should just fast the rest of the day. Maybe a nap will help before trying to study... gotta get rid of this food overload, but I feel too tired to join my father for a walk. Ok... here's the plan: nap for half an hour, learn how to read ECGs better for 30-60 min, read some Blueprints afterwards. God give me strength. At least we know I won't get hungry in between...
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Spring Fever? More like "this season is on 'shrooms"...
It has been a long time since I have written. Really, it's just not healthy for a writer not to be writing more often... like an athlete who stops training -they get out of shape, they're not on their game, and most importantly, they probably also feel terrible (endorphins-withdrawal or something!). So forgive the off-beat style today.
The weather has gone nuts. Ya think it's spring, and then, BOOM! Hail, snow, rain... all at the same time. The trees that had just begun to bud were dipped in crystal and cold, along with that spring optimism. But take heart -we are stronger and tougher than that. And this morning, the sun shone bright as lamp posts cried puddles around us, and the glistening rainbows between the branches of the phantom-like trees dared another storm. It's so bizarre. And frankly, it's sickeningly exhausting sometimes (as in, I am actually sick because what ordinary human body can handle such temperature fluctuation without reeling just a little!).
Anyways. I think I want to learn how to bake some stuff. Mostly, because I realize I have become a cookie monster over the last month or so... it's great when the crispy-on-the-outside, soft-and-chewy-in-the-middle varities of chocolate chip heavenly morsels are free. (Aside: why does free stuff always taste better? look better? wear better? i mean seriously, isn't your favourite pen that free one you got at recruiting 2 years ago?) But you know, these days are not like those good ol' days... to purchase a gourmet cookie, will cost one roughly $3.99 -for one bloody cookie! It's insane. And multiply that number by 100 and you've got the calorie count for that same cookie -again, for one bloody cookie! And although these cookies do tend to be delicious, they are invariably too sweet. So like, I need to find a good cookie recipe and just cut that sugar in half. That way, I can eat 2 whole cookies for roughly 399 calories, savvy? Good recipe suggestions welcome. The other nice thing about baking is then sharing the goods with the people you adore -always a much enjoyed and heartily appreciated gesture to indulge a gourmande (and let's be serious, I do not befriend people who are not gourmandes ;).
Speaking of good food. I ate quite a delicious margherita pizza last weekend (yes, in Toronto of all places... i know, i know, incroyable, really! but good food in that city does in fact, exist... actually, since the last 3 months I have been visiting Toronto, I have yet to have an unpleasant culinary experience, which believe me, surprises both me and you... not to diss Toronto, but you know, I'm still a little sore about last weekend's hockey game -hopefully we beat the Sabres tonight though... then all will be well =) So anyway, this pizza. Hole in the wall place -Buddha Pie. Gourmet-pizza standard price. Thin crust (a bit too crispy, I will admit... yet not a deal-breaker by any stretch!), fresh crushed tomatoes as a base 'sauce', buffalo mozarella (slightly over-melted, but again, still fantastic), and freshly chopped basil. Really. Really. It was good. It was mmmmmm... good.
Well, nothing like writing - writing about the natural world, writing about food, to cheer one up amidst these seasonal upheavals!
The weather has gone nuts. Ya think it's spring, and then, BOOM! Hail, snow, rain... all at the same time. The trees that had just begun to bud were dipped in crystal and cold, along with that spring optimism. But take heart -we are stronger and tougher than that. And this morning, the sun shone bright as lamp posts cried puddles around us, and the glistening rainbows between the branches of the phantom-like trees dared another storm. It's so bizarre. And frankly, it's sickeningly exhausting sometimes (as in, I am actually sick because what ordinary human body can handle such temperature fluctuation without reeling just a little!).
Anyways. I think I want to learn how to bake some stuff. Mostly, because I realize I have become a cookie monster over the last month or so... it's great when the crispy-on-the-outside, soft-and-chewy-in-the-middle varities of chocolate chip heavenly morsels are free. (Aside: why does free stuff always taste better? look better? wear better? i mean seriously, isn't your favourite pen that free one you got at recruiting 2 years ago?) But you know, these days are not like those good ol' days... to purchase a gourmet cookie, will cost one roughly $3.99 -for one bloody cookie! It's insane. And multiply that number by 100 and you've got the calorie count for that same cookie -again, for one bloody cookie! And although these cookies do tend to be delicious, they are invariably too sweet. So like, I need to find a good cookie recipe and just cut that sugar in half. That way, I can eat 2 whole cookies for roughly 399 calories, savvy? Good recipe suggestions welcome. The other nice thing about baking is then sharing the goods with the people you adore -always a much enjoyed and heartily appreciated gesture to indulge a gourmande (and let's be serious, I do not befriend people who are not gourmandes ;).
Speaking of good food. I ate quite a delicious margherita pizza last weekend (yes, in Toronto of all places... i know, i know, incroyable, really! but good food in that city does in fact, exist... actually, since the last 3 months I have been visiting Toronto, I have yet to have an unpleasant culinary experience, which believe me, surprises both me and you... not to diss Toronto, but you know, I'm still a little sore about last weekend's hockey game -hopefully we beat the Sabres tonight though... then all will be well =) So anyway, this pizza. Hole in the wall place -Buddha Pie. Gourmet-pizza standard price. Thin crust (a bit too crispy, I will admit... yet not a deal-breaker by any stretch!), fresh crushed tomatoes as a base 'sauce', buffalo mozarella (slightly over-melted, but again, still fantastic), and freshly chopped basil. Really. Really. It was good. It was mmmmmm... good.
Well, nothing like writing - writing about the natural world, writing about food, to cheer one up amidst these seasonal upheavals!
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