Making Do

I don’t want to be off-putting about cooking.  Some people may say I'm a food snob, which I can't completely deny.  However, I do have Maruchan chicken-flavor ramen noodles in my cupboard, for when the mood is right.  I may doctor them up a bit, but they reside here nonetheless.  Monday night’s dinner was lacking in both snobbery and excitement.  It’s important for people to know that even a “foodie”** approaches dinner lightly in the context of a long day.  When I tumbled into my apartment after a twelve-hour day at school, I combined my exhaustion and my leftovers into the following convoluted, yet satisfying meal:

Appetizer:

-       Vodka on the rocks

o   This is actually a fairly regular “appetizer” at my place.  It stimulates the appetite, like the perfect appetizer should.  I recommend Svedka for a clean, yet reasonably priced vodka.

Entrée:

-       2 large spoonfuls of last night’s curry, cold (the next post will address said curry).

-       About ¾ of a cup of leftover rice pilaf, microwaved.

o   To this, I added a drizzle of spicy oil from a jar of hot pickled peppers and vegetables (jardinière).

o   Then a sprinkle of Lawry’s garlic salt.

o   Finally, a moderate-sized handful of shredded mozzarella (leftover from last week’s baked pasta; otherwise I would have used parmesan, which I always have on hand).

Honestly, I loved every bite; the vodka didn’t hurt either.  I don’t expect anyone to recreate this meal, myself included.  However, do not underestimate the contents of your kitchen, or your instincts.  Food doesn’t always have to be a vision of loveliness to go down easy.  

**Regarding the term "foodie":  I dislike this term for reasons I find difficult to verbalize.  However, I sort of epitomize the concept, so I use the term from time to time for lack of a better word .