In Search of New Hobbies

Although I have lots of time here on the Big Island, I'm having a hard time figuring out what to do with that time. On the Big Island there were lots of classes: lei crocheting, one-stroke painting, cake decorating, pole dancing :) I found a few classes here, but they seem to be really expensive and require a drive. There's pottery, Hawaiian quilt making, jujistu (offered by BJ Penn's gym!), etc. For now I think I'm going to settle into a routine before I jump into anything new.

I decided that learning to cook would be in order. First of all, that show "How to Boil Water" is pretty much my level. I can make macaroni and cheese from a box. Second, in the beginning of the relationship Chris did a lot of cooking (Ok ALL the cooking), but when we moved to Waianae he hated the kitchen so he stopped. I want to learn to cook because I'm tired of living on spaghetti, ramen and mac and cheese! Last, living here on the Big Island should give me plenty of time to actually cook (although according to Bittman preparing meals take the same amount of time as preparing ready made food)

I bought this book "How to Cook Everything" by Mark Bittman and I've been reading it like a novel in bed! So I decided to tackle stir fry for dinner last night. I figure, stir fry...it's easy and plus I'm Chinese, it should come naturally!

I started getting the materials ready, measuring them out so I could just toss them in the wok when needed. Then I came to the onion. I don't know how to cut veggies...at all. Inevitably whenever I don't know how to cut something I'll ask Chris, he'll tell me how and I'll whine until he comes and does it for me. (It always works.) I flip to the handle vegetable section in the book and follow the handy diagrams. Cut off the ends - no problem. Cut one layer down to peel easily - ok minor problem, but I got the skin off easy enough. Make several slices parallel to board to make the pretty dices you see them do on TV - WHAM! KNIFE IN THUMB!

So I've obviously never cooked really and so have never cut myself. I'd like to say that I manned up and just grabbed a rag and kept on cooking like I see on the Food Network all the time, but no....I totally lost my head. Crying hysterically, hopping up and down my kitchen, squeezing as much blood as I could out of my thumb and staring like and idiot at all the red red blood that was gushing out of my thumb. Chris came to the rescue, bandaged me up and I promptly flipped out crying.

24 hour later I can say that I'm fine, I can cop to totally wussy-ing out (Chris' exact bewildered words to me: "I'm not laughing at you. I'm just laughing because I've never seen you be such a wussy about anything before!"). The knife cut approximately 1/4 inch into my thumb, but it was a dull knife that came with the house...dull knives lead to cuts, just like the book said!

Chris finished cutting up my onion while I freaked out on the couch. I told Chris I was done with cooking, but about an hour later I was back in the kitchen, determined not to chicken out. I followed the rest of the directions and ta-da!

CHICKEN AND BROCCOLI STIR-FRY

I didn't love it, but it was edible. Definitely going to tweak it. Next task: NEW KNIFE BLOCK...and maybe one of those slap-chop things that Sham-Wow dude sells.

Culinary goals include: making my own pasta, baking fresh bread, and of course lots more baking. If you got any great recipes, feel free to share!!!

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Further extending my long posts, just wanted to solicit any book recommendations. Read any great books this summer?

I just finished:
- "Kitchen Confidential" (Great read, if anyone has read his other books and has thoughts let me know if they're as good);
- "In the Company of the Courtesan" (It was ok, had a pretty good ending but you had to slog through a lot of book to get there);
- "A Thousand Splendid Suns" (Amazing, I loved it...thought it was beautifully written and was a touching tragic story);
- "Hunger Games" (Couldn't put it down, totally right up my alley, a young adult book but so so so good). Just wanted to share in case anyone out there is looking for a good book!