Cereal Sucks

I have a serious problem with cereal...

It never fills me up.

I had a big bowl of cereal with 2% milk this morning at 8:30am, and after my class was over at 11:30, my stomach was grumbling SUPER hard. My conclusion? Cereal is NOT a good breakfast. It's not even that good for you, unless it's whole grain and made by Kashi. And I'm not even sure if THAT is even truly healthy. It's also expensive! For no reason!

I am never buying cereal again. No more will I be forced to rush home and pick up a large one-topping Papa John's pizza to make up for all the food I missed early on. I was so hungry after class today, I did this. I did it without shame, and I ate the whole thing over the course of 8 hours (noon-8pm).

In short, fuck cereal.

Save the Macaroons!

So this is a conversation Michelle and I had this morning regarding the delicious coconut macaroons she baked just two days ago...

Michelle (from kitchen): Evan! The macaroons are almost gone!

Me (from couch, studying): That's because we ate them, Michelle.

Michelle: We have to stop! We need to start rationing!

Coconut macaroons are a big fucking deal!

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?

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.