IT BURNS!

COOKING ADVENTURE #30: Kavarma

There are several reasons why I don’t cook hot foods. I don’t mean “hot” as in temperature. I mean spicy. I like it in some things when I go out to eat but whenever I try to make something from home, it’s a disaster waiting to happen. Now, I’ve made several Cajun and Indian dishes over the past year that have been pretty mild compared to this Kavarma, the smell of which is like inhaling a bottle of paprika… literally. Not only does it have a ridiculous amount of the red spice in it, it also requires the use of a hot pepper. Having never cooked with hot peppers before, I didn’t take necessary safety precautions. Due to the length of cooking time, the taste, and the agony I went through to undergo this cooking adventure, I’ve given my outcome of this recipe a new name: liquid hell.

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“Stay sealed, Wontons! That’s your purpose in life!”

COOKING ADVENTURE #20: Gyoza with dipping sauce

My interactions with Japanese cuisine has been rather limited. I’ve had sushi once in my life. I’m not sure it really even counts as sushi. I made it with my class in 8th grade. And even then, I didn’t really do much, other than watch other people strip seaweed pieces from wax paper and wrap up rice, fake crabmeat, and fish eggs in them. I don’t even remember how it tasted.  Since I started my Cooking Adventures, I’ve done something Greek (Pastitsio), Georgian (Shashlyk), Cajun (Crabcakes, Cajun Chicken Pasta), Spanish (Empanadas), Mediterranean (Lemon Almond Cake), and Chinese (Egg Drop Soup). I figured it was time to attempt another Far Eastern dish. Gyoza, a traditional recipe of wontons stuffed with cooked ground meat and vegetables, seemed like the perfect thing to start out with. This dish is also responsible for allowing me to prepare a couple different food items that I’ve had no experience cooking with before. It had an exciting… and daunting task ahead of me.