FUNKY!

Take-out...just about the  least creative solution to burnt dinner, lack of time or laziness. I'm definitely not here to tell you to go ahead and order some pizza or chinese when things go wrong in the kitchen. In fact, I'm all for figuring out things on your own, learning, going out and experiencing a new restaurant etc. etc. That being said, I do order out quite often... including this past weekend.

It was Saturday night, and I was studying with some friends. We had spent hours on chemistry, and realized we missed dinner at the DUC (the university cafeteria). Too lazy to walk over to one of the nearby restaurants to get something to eat, we decided to get some Indian food delivered. Indian food is one of my favorites and of course, my eyes lit up and I yelled out "Indian!!!" when Susan asked what we should get. I love Indian food; the perfect blend between naan, rice and some sort of sauce, be it palak paneer, or chicken tikka masala, is so good (for lack of a better description). We ordered naan, rice, chicken madras, chicken tikka and mango lasies (an Indian type of drink) from Cafe Bombay in Atlanta. We said we wanted everything mild.

It wasn't mild. David was the first to try the chicken. "Well this is…funky," he declared as his eyes widened and he began to flap his arms around, searching for his mango lasi. After giggling away, and thinking he couldn't handle spicy, I proceeded to take a bite and pretty much did the same thing. Maybe they mixed up our order, I don't know but I do admit I was somewhat tempted to try 'hot' if that was supposed to be 'mild'.

The food was indeed "funky" though, and not in a bad way per se. Well, unless you can't eat spicy food. The chicken madras didn't taste like chicken madras I had eaten in the past. Neither did the chicken tikka, or the mango lasi. The dishes were a little creamier than usual, and the chunks of chicken were huge. The spices tasted unfamiliar and a bit strange. I enjoyed it though, and came to realize the variety that exists even within a given cuisine. I know that my rambling sounds a little too reflective for a take-out meal, but I did decide that different is not only good, but interesting... and amusing.

Also, Indian food is awesome. Eat it!

Chicken madras!

Chicken tikka!!!

Scrambled Eggs.

I’m not a very good cook...and not for lack of trying. When I was a kid, I decided I was going to be a chef. I bought a hat, a spatula and quite a number of cook books. From time to time, I would attempt to make some sort of dish. Unfortunately, this phase was short-lived as my soup would somehow end up lumpy and components of my stir fry would stick to the pan and burn.
I eventually had to come to terms with my clumsiness, impatience and lack of intuition in the kitchen and so I moved on. What came of the experience you might ask? Well, I pretty much learned what bad cooks should cook. I was quick to note the foods that are not only quick and easy to prepare but also, just as tasty. The best food? Scrambled eggs.

 

Scrambled eggs? Does one even 'cook' scrambled eggs? Well, maybe not, but just about everyone knows how to fry some up and so, you only need a little creativity (no crazy cooking skills) to turn a couple of scrambled eggs into a legitimate meal. Below are a couple of ideas I have tried out so far:  

  

   

Having grown up in Uganda, I perhaps should have come up with more ‘exotic’ foods to discuss… matoke, posho, g-nut sauce or something of that sort. But no, not this time anyway. I will tell you about Rolexes though. No, not the watches… but the food, and my favorite scrambled egg dish. Rolexes are a typical Ugandan breakfast consisting of (surprise, surprise) scrambled eggs, tomatoes, lettuce, onions, sliced bell peppers (and pretty much anything else you want) wrapped up in a chapatti. Costing approximately 200 Ugandan Shilling (less than10 cents) a piece, they are (originally) fried on makeshift stoves and are just about the best Ugandan food out there. Simple and humble, they are the reason I learned to make scrambled eggs.

  Oh, scrambled eggs. Light and fluffy, one spoonful melts in your mouth. A bite of toast adds some texture and crunch. Cheese, ham, ketchup, onions… pretty much anything can be added.  If you can fry eggs, you can make a variety of meals and in the meantime, explore a range of cultures without having to struggle with complex recipes; from Indian egg bhurji or to tex-mex dishes such as migas (scrambled eggs with corn tortilla, vegetables and meat (optional)), scrambled eggs are a universal food.

Unique yet common, scrambled eggs are for everyone. Especially for those of us who are somewhat less competent in the kitchen. 

Pictures courtesy of: Spiceindiaonline.com Thisisafrica.me Travelblog.com Food.com