A Note about Pasta-diversity

You know that whole thing with spaghetti noodles being almost exclusively for spaghetti? And fettucini always being paired with alfredo sauce in restaurants? There are certain pasta dishes that call for certain types of pasta. Some pasta must be included in certain recipes.

Fuck that.

It sounds pretentious as hell.

Don't be a pasta prick. If you have a pasta noodle that you prefer, like Ziti Rigati for example, USE IT WHENEVER YOU WANT. There is no standard set of rules dictating what sort of pasta MUST be used in what dish. In fact, I recommend that next time you make fettucini alfredo, screw the fettucini and boil up some angel hair. Or some penne. Or some other pasta that has a cool shape, like bow tie (or farfalle), that maybe you've never tried before!

Ever heard of Garganelli? Pappardelle? Capellini? Radiatori? Orecchiete? Try 'em out! I sure as hell haven't but I intend to! Especially now that I know Radiatori pasta noodles are shaped like little radiators, and Orecchiete are shaped like little ears (orecchio means 'ear' in Italian).

For more information on the wide variety of pasta shapes, visit this Wikipedia page: "List of Pasta". Yea, I know... Wikipedia would, right?

Little Italian Pizzas... or Bruschetta

Continuing with the Italian theme, here's an awesome, quick, super affordable recipe for a delicious lunch –– bruschetta! I will be taking full credit for this little dish, even though its super obvious and simple.

Recipe

-Pesto Bruschetta on a Bed of Salad-

[I mean, I've heard that sometimes salads are called beds. I dunno where or when I heard that. But hey, it sounds fancy!]

Bruschetta

Ingredients

- French bread, sliced into 1/2 inch to 1 inch slices

- basil pesto

- 1 fresh tomato, cut into thin triangles

- mozzarella cheese, sliced or shredded

- crushed basil

Preparation:

1) Place your French bread slices on a baking sheet. Spacing does not matter.

2) Put just enough pesto on each one to cover them completely.

3) Take your mozzarella cheese slices and tear them into small pieces to cover the French bread slices. If you have shredded cheese, all the easier! Just cover the top of the bread. I had to use slices because it was all I had in the fridge, but it works just the same.

4) Top each piece with tomato slice and a little crushed basil.

5) But the oven on broil and just watch over these guys. It doesn't take long for the cheese to melt and the corners to crisp (maybe like 2-3 minutes depending on the strength of your oven?).

6) Serve over your Salad.

Salad

1) There is no need to buy bag lettuce. I am a huge advocate for buying fresh Romaine lettuce and slicing it up myself. If you don't know how to do this: here's a short explanation. Lay one "heart" of lettuce flat on a cutting board. Grab the end, pushing the leaves together, and slice (God, the word slice is such a beautiful word. I think I'll use it just one more time because the word "cut" just does NOT give the same effect!) it with a very sharp knife width-wise into 1 inch pieces. It's super easy. Put your lettuce in a bowl.

2) Top the salad with dressing, cheese, and croutons. I am also an advocate for not adding too much dressing. Be skimpy, you don't need that much. You gotta make that shit last until your next grocery run!

3) Around your salad go your bruschetta that just popped out of the oven! Voila!

This easy meal is perfect for a college student stopping by the house for a quick bite to eat (Total prep & cook time: About 6-7 minutes). And it's super cheap to make. And it's delicioso! (Yea... delicioso is Spanish and Italian for delicious. You just pronounce the 'c' as an 's' in Spanish and as a 'ch' in Italian!)

Wow, Vegetables DON'T Suck (Part II)

My trip to Panama with Kalu Yala not only opened my eyes to the world around me, it also opened my mind and heart to new foods and new flavors. A traditional dish in Panama is the patacon, usually seen in plural form: patacones. Patacones are thick slices of plantains (plátanos) that are fried, then squished and fried again. In the small town of San Miguel, in the corregimiento de San Martín, I would order patacones whenever they were available at the restaurants. They were normally served with sea salt and spicy chile sauce (salsa picante), which they mixed themselves at the Taverna del Rio. A special thank you goes out to Katia and Nico for creating this sauce! But even more special "eff you" goes out to them for not revealing the recipe!!

Another food I was introduced to was the chayote, or vegetable pear. This little guy is a light green pear-shaped vegetable that is puckered at both ends and grows on a vine. I first encountered chayote in Juan Gil, a little community two towns away from San Miguel. My primary resource for my ethnobotanical research, Miriam, lived there, and she served me chayote as a part of her wild mission to practically force me to experience as many varieties of plants as possible (an endeavor for which I am eternally grateful, as are my taste buds). Shown here is a photo of the meal she prepared for me.

Today, I'd like to share one way to make patacones and also how to prepare chayote.

Recipe

-The "Vegetables Don't Suck" Panamanian-inspired Dish-

[Serves 2 people.]

-PATACONES-

Ingredients:

- 2 plantains (It's preferable that they be green, or near-green.)

- vegetable oil

- sea salt

- spicy salsa, optional (I chose Mrs. Renfro's Mango Habanero Salsa)

Tools:

- plate covered with two paper towels

- frying pan

- wax paper

- spatula

Preparation:

1) Okay, how to peel a plantain: With a sharp-ass knife, cut the tips from the plantain, then slice a strip (length-wise) of the peel off one side of the plantain. From this point, with your fingers, slowly peel away the rest of the peel. It's gonna feel a little gross, but it'll all be worth it in the end.

2) Heat, on the medium setting, about ONE INCH of vegetable oil in your pan. Seriously. One inch. No lie. Heat the oil until its hot

3) While its heating, cut (width-wise) your plantains into about 4 pieces.

4) Fry the plantain pieces on both sides for roughly 3 minutes each, or until they maintain a golden color. Use two forks, or a spatula to turn them. Do not use your fingers, dumb-ass (the oil is burning hot!)

5) Place them on a plate covered with two paper towels.

6) Between two sheets of wax paper and using your hands, flatten the fried plantains into 1/4 inch discs.

7) Place the discs back into the hot oil, and fry them until they are a golden brown color on both sides. They will also feel a little crispy.

8) Cover your plate with new paper towels, then place the patacones on the plate to drain the excess oil. Add sea salt "al gusto", or to your liking.

9) Add spicy salsa (Again, this is optional.)

10) SERVE 'EM UP!

Pictured below on each plate are patacones on the left,

with the chayote side on the right.

-CHAYOTE-

Ingredients:

- 1 chayote (You can find them at Kroger!)

- olive oil

- crushed parsley

- crushed basil

- 1/2 green bell pepper, diced (optional)

- rice (optional)

Preparation:

1) Steam the rice in a rice steamer. Yea. I'm a cheater. If you know how to cook rice, good for you. Rice cookers are the shit and I don't need to make rice in a pot because its unnecessary!

2) Heat olive oil in a small pan on medium heat.

3) Cut your chayote into relatively small cubes, no peeling necessary. Do not dice them. Make them less than an inch thick on the thickest side.

4) When the olive oil is hot, throw the green bell peppers and the chayote into the pan with the crushed parsley and basil and sauté until the chayote has browned on all sides.

5) Serve the veggies on top of the rice as a side dish (as pictured above).

Enjoy guys! Let me know if you make it.

¡Buen provecho!

Wow, Vegetables DON'T Suck (Part I)

Yea! It's true! I recently started cooking more and more with various types of veggies, and they make my mouth water now. Here's a short list of vegetables that DON'T suck, and why.

-Zucchini-

Ah, yes. Those cucumber-like things that used to annoy me because they came with my Chicken teriyaki when I SPECIFICALLY asked them to serve it with no vegetables. Well, I recently opened my skillet to them, and oh what a glorious reception it was! These things are delicious. Michelle first introduced them to me, what with her being an avid herbivore, served with pasta. And you know what? Forget cucumbers, man. Cucumbers are boring as shit, they're too watery, and they do not cook as well as zucchini!

Spices that go well with zucchini: I would say with confidence that almost all spices complement this guy, except I would recommend you avoid cooking zucchini with cinnamon, cloves, most crushed seeds (except sesame seeds), and bay leaves.

-Carrots-

I mean, I'll be honest, I usually eat carrots with peanut butter. I used to refuse to eat them at all (unless they were very very thinly sliced into a salad). I tried them fairly often in Panama, and, when cooked properly, they are awesome. I like my carrots either steamed, roasted, or sauteed paired with other vegetables. Another benefit of carrots is that they are cheap and keep for a long time in a refrigerator crisper drawer! I've had a bag in there for 3 weeks and they are still beautiful and orange. But honestly, it's all about the spices you put on them while cooking them.

Spices that go well with carrots: Basil, cinnamon, marjoram, tarragon, and thyme, but definitely experiment and see what else might go well!

-Green Bell Peppers-

Dynamic, sweet, ever-so-slightly spicy, and abundant. They are normally around 79¢ at Kroger when they are in there strongest season (NOW) and they have so many uses! I have been using them when sauteing vegetables, making quesadillas, and preparing rice dishes. I'll be detailing how to make perfect quesadillas in a future post!

Spices that go well with green bell peppers: I almost exclusively reserve basil for green peppers, even though they really are a spice all their own. I'd also try thyme or rosemary with bell peppers for an extra bold flavor.

Recipe

-The "Vegetables Don't Suck" Sauté-

These three vegetables taste delicious together, so I've provided a simple recipe to cook them to perfection. It is dumbed down a bit for people who are less adept in the kitchen (like myself). I'll be discussing cutting methods in later posts.

Ingredients:

1 zucchini, sliced into wedges or discs (at least 1/4 inch wide; if they are thinner they will burn quickly and fold over/shrivel up and die)

2 full-size carrots, sliced into discs

1/2 green bell pepper, diced

crushed basil

minced garlic (you can buy this in a jar already minced for you)

sun-dried tomato and basil feta cheese

olive oil (I like to use extra virgin olive oil, primarily because my mom recommends that)

Preparation:

1) Heat olive oil (evenly spread out in the pan) with your stove burner set to medium.

2) Add 1/4 tablespoon (tbsp) of minced garlic and cook until appears to be golden brown.

3) Add carrots and green peppers and basil. Sauté for at least 2 minutes before adding the zucchini.

4) Add zucchini and a little more basil. Cook until they begin to brown (because burnt zucchini is gross).

5) Serve directly from the pan onto plate or into bowl. Top with feta cheese "al gusto" (as they say in Panama), or "to your liking"

6) EAT UP, POOR COLLEGE KID!

-And Don't Forget...-

Be innovative! I encourage you to NOT follow my instructions very closely. Discover something new! Let me know if you change it up.

The Kitchen: The Innovation Station

While in Panama, I met a woman named Flor. Flor lives a little ways up the mountain at the far end of the one road of San Miguel. This awesome lady invited me to come to her house for lunch because she wanted to make untraditional food for my fellow San Miguel Outreach Team members. She asked me what I liked to eat, and I expressed that I was not picky and would "comer cualquier plato que cocinara" or eat whatever dish she cooked. She was thrilled at this, and I did not understand the gravity of it until the next day.

We arrived at her house and she had prepared dishes that we had yet to taste in the country. What our plates consisted of does not matter at the moment; what matters is that she was excited at the prospect of being able to show innovation in the kitchen. She is a creative lady, and loves to express herself through food. She told us that her husband, however, is a very traditional man and prefers traditional Panamanian food.

So, next time you question adding that extra ingredient to a dish at the risk of ruining it... do it!Next time you get sick of making ramen and salads... make something different!

Get creative in the kitchen!

Peace out.

Evan

An Extremist Public Proclamation.

Dear French Fries,

I will not eat you unless I make you myself from scratch.

Sorry Wendy's: your new french fries are good, but I'm giving them up for the sake of my health and my new blog. Also, shout out to the french fries at The Grill: your special feta dip is OH SO good, but I cannot have anymore drunken nights over at your establishment engorging myself with mounds of ketchup and those deliciously greasy fries... I've got to learn to let go, just for a little while.

Love,

Evan

......xoxoxo.

Foreward (Part II): The Restaurant Challenge

-The Weening Process-

I don't trust much of the food I order I restaurants, even though I eat out pretty damn often. I mean, hey, who doesn't nowadays? Especially in a college town where almost everyday you either hear or say, "Wanna grab lunch?" So, I've created this challenge to make myself be not only more health-conscious, but also more diverse in my food options.

I used to be an extremely picky eater.

And my mom hated it. In fact, before I went to Panama, I never would have dreamt of eating tomatoes or beans. Now, I'm a huge fan of both. It's all about trying new things with a open mind. People say you should always strive to try new things, but without the right attitude you won't get the accurate effect. Food is a perfect example. When I was younger, I would normally order chicken fingers and fries at almost any restaurant. Ever. My parents used to tell me I was going to turn into chicken. Despite my current lack of feathers, I still feel like I eat too much chicken when I am eating out. My goal for the summer is to begin to branch out with my choices. I have been doing well so far.

I've always been a huge fan of a local restaurant in Athens called The Grit. This popular place on Prince Ave is delicious, nutritious, and even has its own cookbook now that they've become such a hot spot! Not everyone is a fan, though. My parents, avid carnivores, would be especially opposed. Yea, it's a vegetarian restaurant. I have been going to The Grit since I first came to Athens two years ago, and its still one of my favorite places for lunch, usually with my best bud Michelle (who is a real, living vegetarian). However, I never order typical vegetables. My usual dish is called something like the vegetable entree or sampler, which allows you to choose several side dishes to comprise your entree! I usually order the sweet potato fries, the tofu cup, and the falafel. In closing, I went to The Grit the other day with Michelle, and ordered the vegetable stir fry. I loved all of it except for the water chestnuts. They are incredibly weird and I am completely opposed to ever having them again.

-Feeling Post-Panama Nostalgia-

As I create this cookbook blog, I will be featuring plants I didn't eat before now, as well as plants I had never heard of before my trip. Yea, it's funny to look back now and think about my attitude toward going to Panama. Everyone said things like, "Oh, Evan! It's going to change your life!", and, "You're going to come back a whole different person!" While the latter is not true at all, the former is fairly accurate considering the impact it had on my eating habits. I did not eat very well while I was there, so this wasn't a realization that

I had while in Panama. It was more of a post-trip nostalgia for the food I had every now and then. The best dish I experienced there was patacones, or refried plantains. I just made those last night, so I'll be discussing the preparation and a little more information about them in a later blog post! Look out!

In the meantime, eat at The Grit. Not that they even need my encouragement and plugging, but seriously... shit's tasty. They make perfect tofu every time. Yes, I'm a tofu-loving omnivore! WHAT?!

This photo is courtesy of VisitSouth.com!

Foreword: Clueless in the Kitchen

-An Introduction-

I always grew up with my mom making meals by herself in the kitchen. I never asked her to teach me how to make anything; obviously, I wasn't being smart and, you know, thinking ahead. Now that I'm going into my 3rd year of college, I feel like its time I learned how to cook so I can stay healthy, feel more independent, and be more open-minded about food. Last year, my diet was particularly terrible and hardly ever involved any cooking at all. I think the most cooking I ever did was boiling noodles, then adding butter and garlic salt (and quite often I would either forgot to salt the water or put the noodles in AFTER the water starts to boil). My diet primarily consisted of pop tarts, granola bars, boxed mashed potatoes, cheezits, diet coke, pita chips and hummus. During that time, I also noticed I was gaining weight. No, this isn't a sob story about getting fat and wanting to be the next biggest loser. What this is an open proclamation that I will eat better and be more self-sufficient in my preparation and consumption of food! And let me just say...

I have always taken food for granted.

-A Catalyst-

Well, it's time for that to stop, and a recent event sparked this interest in food in general. I recently took a trip to Panama for three months. I was working as an intern for a company called Kalu Yala which hopes to build a sustainable community in the rainforest in central Panama. My job was to study the plant life of the nearby community called San Miguel and learn about their uses of each plant; somewhat of an ethnobotanical study, if you will. I will not lie and say that the town had a knack for being super health and always eating the freshest of produce. What I will say is that they know how to cook. The people in this town introduced me to many plants (fruits, vegetables, root vegetables, and herbs) that they use to maintain their health and thrill their taste buds. I realized upon returning to the United States, after writing a book entitled Plants of San Miguel for Kalu Yala's use, my eating habits SUCK. It's time for a change, and this was the catalyst.

-A New Book-

This blog will be like my new book, my new baby. I want to learn how to cook not only to feel healthier, but also to diversify my food tastes and impress my friends (and future dates/boyfriends). Yes, "boyfriendS". As in plural. Such is the life of a gay boy in college! But seriously, this blog will be a database of my successes and failures in the kitchen. It's like my... recipe box... or my cookbook...

THIS IS MY COOKBOOK.

Enjoy it! Please help me by giving me advice/tips/tricks/hints! I'm going to need it. Oh! And support! And possibly a band-aid or two.