u/Edward-Victoria

Hey everyone.

Its been a bit over a week since I last posted, and I've got a few things worth showing... maybe.

First we got a simple dinner; chicken, brocolli, and roasted potato wedges, and a fig jam atop. Nothing really to say about most of the meal, pretty basic, but the fig jam was honestly quite amazing. I've never had fig before, so it's really a hard flavour to describe... which I know is kinda the point of all this, so apologies. It was really good though.

Next we have a classic cheesecake with a raspberry topper. It was really delicious, but I think I messed up the graham cracker crust. There must have been too much butter, because it wouldn't set and was very wet, so by the time it set enough to add the cheesecake, it was a little overcooked. I mean it wasn't bad by any metric, just a bit stiffer of a crunch than I wanted. The raspberry topper really makes the whole thing, and its just raspberries, raspberry jam, and a bit of sugar.

Our following dish was really quite amazing. It was a asian sesame shrimp bowl. It was just so fricken tasty. It's just chow mein, shredded cabbage spring mix, snow peas, crispy shallots, green onions, and then the shrimp. What really made this dish delicious was the sauce. You make it with thai chili sauce, oyster sauce, and some asian seasoning. And I may have like... doubled the thai chili sauce just because I love it. I seriously downed the bowl way faster than I thought I would, and was eyeing the leftovers the rest of the night.

The next meal was a quick and tasty one I made off the cuff. I got a nice 12 pack of scallops for cheap from the store I work at, so I made some fettuccine, a garlic alfredo sauce, then some diced tomatoes. It was very much an easy comfort meal. By the way, if you're ever cooking scallops, here's my advice. First, they got to be bone dry, and then you just do salt and pepper. Nothing else. Next get your cast iron like... almost concerningly hot, your oil should be almost smoking. Then its two minutes aside, and take them off. This should give you a super crispy outside, but not overcook the scallop so it still melts in your mouth.

Last, we have an italian burger with parm potatoes disks. I really don't have much to say on the parm potato disks, you should know from the name alone they're devilishly tasty. The cheese got that nice crispy texture, where it kinda spiderwebs across the pan and browns nicely. Just good. The burger itself was also quite excellent, but the star of the show was the caramelized onions, which I'll talk about in a bit. The rest of the burger was beautifully simply. Parm mayo, toasted buns, spinach leaves, tomato slices. The meat of the burger was mixed with bread crumbs, some seasoning, and an egg which just made it very satisfying and moist.

Now the caramelized onions, god, done right they're fantastic. But fuck, the recipe was almost painfully unhelpful in teaching new cooks how to do onions. They do not take five minutes, they don't take ten minutes, they don't take twenty minutes. You want to do caramelized onions quick, its going to take you 30 minutes at least. Low heat, stir constantly. Thats really it. Then once they're properly browned and soft, finish with a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, and its just perfect. Honestly they carried the whole dish.

Well, thats it for now... maybe forever. I don't know. I was so happy when cooking became fun again, but now... it feels like nothing again. So thats... fun.

Hope everyone is doing well, and if you're not, hope things turn around soon. Love you all.

Hey everyone, Im back! Ive got two meals for you, one new to me, one a well loved classic. The first was an amazing pork chop with roasted vegetables and a to die for shallot gravy. I haven’t cooked with pork for a bit so this was a nice experience. Then our second meal of the post is a classic for me, named simply ‘Lemon Chicken’. This is a real warm comfort food from my childhood.

The pork chop dish was really wonderful. Like surprisingly wonderful, I was in awe for a few moments. The roasted vegetables are tasty, I think a little too oily, which could have been my fault. Might try the air fryer for them next time. And the pork chop was great and juicy, seasoned with pepper, paprika, and zesty lemon seasoning. Not too much to say. But the shallot gravy really is the subtle strength of this dish. Shallot is such a lovely flavour, it’s a bit more subtle than onion, and such a like warm and fuzzy flavour when it’s part of a dish. Like it’s so weird, the gravy didn’t feel like the main show of the dish, but nothing else comes close to as prominent.

If I was to change this dish at all, I might add some diced mushrooms and a dash of Worcestershire sauce to the gravy. But I am worried it would ruin that magic the gravy had in its simplicity. But easily a 4.5/5, it was just amazing.

Now our second dish is something I’ve been eating since I was wee. For how simple this dish seems to me now, I still remember how this used to be the ‘complicated’ dish in my family. Probably our first step on our journey to being halfway decent cooks. It really is simple and perfect. Fettuccini, finished with the broccoli thrown in the water. Chicken was diced and seasoned with lemon pepper and some box standard chicken seasoning. And the sauce is done on a double boiler, 5 egg yolks, constantly stir. Then you slowly add 1/3 cup butter in chunks, and like a whole lemon juiced. So tasty, sour, buttery. So terrible for you, but god it’s good lol. 4/5 although probably mostly nostalgia.

My past week was nice. Im suffering from success at work in the form of becoming the ‘reliable one’ when I don’t want to be noticed. My mum came into town for a couple days, so we’ve been hanging out, chatting, processing grief, getting a little high, all that fun stuff. Therapy has been nice, ive made them laugh quite a lot, so I think I’m winning? But in all seriousness, Im trying my best to work hard at bettering myself, healing, growing. Although I have to admit it’s tiring work.

But thats more than enough yap for this post. Ive got so many fun meals on the horizon, it’s actually daunting lol. But for now, Im taking it easy digesting, and getting ready for another work week. Hope you all have a wonderful week, eat good food, and have a good time. Sending the good vibes to all of you. See you next time!

PS. Also just because it’s such a wonderful view, I just had to share. It’s been raining today, and I think I’ve spent all of it outside enjoying the rain and scenery.

Hey everyone. I’ll keep the yapping to a minimum today. This was supposed to be a double post, but I forgot to let my avocado ripen outside the fridge, so meal two is delayed until at least tomorrow.

This dish was super tasty. Chipotle chicken tacos. I don’t have that great a sense of smell, but paprika and chipotle really come through and it feels like I can literally smell how good these taste. They were warm and filling, and everything you want in a quick light dinner.

The base is julienned carrots and cabbage rolled in vinegar, pepper, and a pinch of sugar. The turkey was cooked up with some corn and onion, then mixed together with a texmex mix that smelled of that delicious paprika and a chipotle sauce. Then topped with a spoonful of lime guacamole. Really very tasty, 4/5 easily. And I mean it wasn’t too complex a dish, but sometimes food doesn’t have to be outstanding, sometimes it’s just good. And that’s okay. Probably a lesson i could learn someday.

Personal life is going okay. My therapist gave me some readings for this week. Im starting with Bell Hooks ‘The will to change: Men, Masculinity, and Love’. It’s a really interesting read so far, if a little sad. Maybe ‘sad’ isn’t the right word. Theres a combination of relief and anguish finally starting to recognize the harm patriarchy has on one’s own life and the life of others.

This still feels a little yappy, so I’ll wrap up here. Wish everyone a good week, good food, good times. And if it’s been rough, know Im sending virtual hugs. And of course a big happy Mother’s Day to both those that identify as ‘mommy’ and to those that are mothers. You deserve all the love and support in the world, and recognition every day, not just today. Cheers.

Hi everybody, it’s me again! This dish likely looks familiar to anyone that has been following my cooking posts, it’s the one, the only, sticky bang bang salmon bowl. But you know what, this dish is worth posting twice. Also I didn’t really go into why this dish is so amazing, so why not do that now.

This dish is so fucking good. Like it actually makes me smile thinking of it. Theres so many pieces that work together to make something so beautiful. Let’s go bottom up. Our base is jasmine rice, cooked in a little bit of butter and a garlic ginger purée. When it’s finished, a splash of soy sauce and a sprinkling of sesame seeds are added. It has such a nice look to it. The rice is so buttery, the soy sauce gives a bit of a dark hue, yet it still contrasts perfectly against the black sesame seeds. It really gives the rice its own identity in the dish, it’s not just a faceless base to the meal.

Atop our rice is some red cabbage mixed with rice vinegar a little sugar, and oil. This breaks down the cabbage a little, softening it a bit, and giving a bit of an acidic edge. But it still has that nice crunch. With it is some steamed broccoli. It’s broccoli, it’s delicious, theres not a huge amount to add here. But the dark greens contrast against the red cabbage very well, making both pop.

Then we hit the star of our show, the salmon filet. These are broiled in the oven after being let marinate for a quick minute. Longer would probably infuse the flavours better, but it’s definitely amazing even done quickly. The marinade is Thai chili sauce, that same purée we added to the rice and some soy sauce. It might be just me, but gosh do I love Thai chili sauce and salmon. It’s just such an addictive flavour. If I ever see filets at the store marked down, I take them home, put them in a ziplock with Thai chili sauce and ginger, marinate for a few hours. Oven, then bam, quick tasty salmon bite snack.

Then beside our salmon we have some avocado slices. It adds a creaminess that brings it all together. Really the reason this dish is so amazing, is you get a bit of everything. Buttery salty rice, crunchy cabbage, creamy avocado, flaky salmon. Spice, salt, umami. It feels like such a complete meal.

Then we have our drizzle of bang bang sauce, which is Thai chili and mayo. Honestly it’s just an excuse for more Thai chili in our dish and I love it, sue me. Then the sprinkling of sesame seeds on top makes the dish look making. In the same way you get a feast of flavours, the dish also offers a bounty of colour. White and black in our rice, red cabbage, dark green broccoli, light green avocado, a range of oranges and reds with our salmon and bang bang sauce.

Have you figured out I love this dish yet? lol

Ha… I think this is the dish I’d want to use to show someone that Im decent at cooking, and that cooking is my love language. Like sure cooking for friends and family is fun. But gosh, cooking for someone you love~ it just feels so romantic. Like I want to nourish your body and soul. I want to learn a million recipes because I never want to make our life together dull. I want to learn your palette, i want to know what food makes you happy. Like it’s something tangible I can use to show that they matter to me. I want to feed you, so you have the energy to survive, nay, to thrive. I want to be a glimmering treasure that helps you throughout your day. The day might suck, but once the worst is over you get to come home to a meal made with so much love. And for all the love I put into the food, I love you a million times more.

Mhmmm… cooking is so romantic to me. In case it isn’t obvious, I partook of a different type of bowl also tonight. Teehee.

I’ll see you soon everyone. Love you all. Wishing you all the best.

Another week means another set of new recipes, (plus a much beloved old one). Hello everyone! Im excited to share with you tonight’s dinner. Coconut shrimp with bok choy, bell peppers and plum sauce over rice.

It. Was. Delicious.

The veggies were fried with some garlic salt, and I cooked the shrimp in the oven with the panko-coconut seasoning, and because they weren’t quite crunchy enough, I finished them in the air fryer. It’s so good, the veggies are tender, the shrimp had amazing crunch. It was super fresh and light, and the plum sauce really tied it all together. Definitely a 4.5/5.

My only complaint is I used a yellow bell pepper, which just kinda blurred into the dish. Orange or red would have really popped and made it look gorgeous.

Also, as a side note, are you supposed to fry panko before you use it? This was the first time I did it, and I kinda feel stupid for not doing this the thousand times ive used panko before. It gave it such a nice colour and made it extra crunchy. At the very least I know better going forward. So many recipes to play with again to see how much the toasted panko elevates it.

In other news, Im on my weekend right now, finally getting back to my regular work schedule. It’s comforting having a predictable week, can actually plan ahead now lol. Tidied the house a bit inside and out. Im most excited to have tidied up the gazebo. It’s getting bloody hot out here, and only getting hotter, and the gazebo is protected by the house in the evenings. Now I just need to lure entice some people to hang out and chill with me.

As always, hope everyone is having a good week, and if not, Im sending good vibes your way. They will find you. Theres no point fighting it. See you soon with more delicious recipes soon!

Did my best to find a source for this image.

The original image without text seemed to be posted on the tumblr of user friendly neighborhood freak. And the earliest cataloged instance of this exact meme was another tumblr user random joy

Hello everybody.

I was supposed to cook this meal a few days ago but got struck by the vapours and needed to rest for a bit until i was back on the upswing. Hopefully I keep going back up.

Now to the meal at hand.

It was quite an interesting experience. I’d never had tilapia before. I was warned it was very fishy, but it turned out amazing! It was rich and flakey. I can definitely see it fighting as an enjoyable alternative in some other dishes ive got under my belt.

The tangy ginger sauce paired amazingly with the fish. It had a base of a prepackaged umami ginger sauce, then you mix together some of the pickling liquid from the cabbage.

Speaking of, the base of the meal was bulgur wheat and a clementine salad. This was also my first time having bulgur. I have to say Im not a fan, but I also might have not cooked it right. I’ll give it a second chance another day, but for now, rice is my grain of choice.

The salad is greens, clementines and pickled cabbage. The picking was quick and dirty with sugar and vinegar, brought to a simmer then put in the fridge for a bit.

Theres also a sprinkle of toasted cashew and sesame seeds. Added some crunch. I really don’t have too much to say.

Overall it was decent, I learned a lot about my palate and tastes. 3.5/5, i think really because if the bulgur. The salad and tilapia were really great though!

Anyways, hope everyone else is doing good, or hopefully getting better if not.

Like the terminator once promised, I am back. I thought about doing the last two recipes in a post tomorrow, but after taking the pictures and tasting these, I couldn’t help but want to share!

Today’s dinner are Cajun shrimp tacos with kiwi cabbage salad and black beans. And damn were these tasty.

This was actually my first time trying a kiwi, and all I have to say is… WHY DIDNT ANYONE TELL ME THEY WERE SO GOOD?!? Seriously, so delicious, and refreshing, especially after a long day of work.

The Cajun seasoning on the shrimp matches brilliantly with the cool salad, and the black beans add add a much needed foundation.

If I was to make these again, I’d probably switch up the Cajun seasoning for red pepper flakes and paprika. No real reason, just not the biggest fan of Cajun seasoning. The line to scoff at that remark starts at the gazebo. Also I’d probably try to find whole wheat tortillas next time, I switched to whole wheat wraps and rye bread a while ago, and I’ve grown to love it. Plus it’s better for me, so win-win on that front.

Also these took literally like 15 minute to whip up. Overall I’m giving them a 3.5 stars. My second lowest review, what a tragedy. But in all seriousness, there’s a good foundation here, just needs some tweaks purely out of personal taste. I could see this reaching 4.5 stars someday. But not five stars, only my bang bang salmon bowls gets five.

And as is becoming tradition, some light musing about my day. You can skip this part if you don’t care. Work was long, and it’s getting hot out here, so I was sweating. I’m far more comfortable in snow than sun… why did I move here again… right the lakes. My boss also texted me the other day praising me for all I do, and it kinda broke my brain. The imposter syndrome went full throttle after that, because I’m giving work at most a quarter-ass worth of passion, I don’t deserve praise. I’m a depressed stoner for fucks sake.

But I’m trying to… love myself and junk. Maybe I did good after all… ¯_(ツ)_/¯. But it’s easy to love this community! Everyone’s so kind and wonderful. Anyway, love you all, have a wonderful evening, I will see you tomorrow with my last dish of the week. Little hint, the star of the show is tilapia

Hey everybody. It’s been a DOOZY of a day.

I planned on posting another triple recipe review like last time, but I need that sweet sweet virtual approval from my peers right now. We’ll start with the review, then I’ll tell my tale.

Today I made marinated chicken served over rice and cabbage-cucumber salad, with a drizzle of siracha mayo on top because the spice must flow.

The meal itself was delicious as always. The salad added a refreshing crispness to match the spicy drizzle, honestly I might just whip up the salad and rice for a quick summer snack. That’s high praise mind you, given before I started cooking new recipes my yearly intake of greens was some broccoli at thanksgiving and Christmas.

Anyway, 4/5, amazing, tasty, would make again. If only the rest of my day was as wonderful as my dinner.

Today was my first day off after finally getting back to my pre-medical leave work schedule. The morning was wonderful, cereal, smoke a bowl outside, throw on some tunes, watch the cats play in the yard. But then I had to go and be productive. I tried to get my dad’s old leaf blower going to cleanup the walkways and driveway. Wouldn’t start. Watched a guide. Still wouldn’t start. Then I wrenched the pull cord so hard my phone ejected from my hoodie and smashed. Womp womp.

So I took a quick break, before deciding to cleanup inside instead. To sum that up quickly, the hardwood floor attachment of my vacuum broke. Annoying, but I still could clean the floors, if a little cumbersome. Then I attached the power bar, started vacuuming the living room… then the power bar caught fire. I swear to god, I’m trying so fucking hard to laugh about this. I’m back outside, because my house smells like electrical fire. I got all the windows open. Hopefully it dissipates soon.

Anyway, I’m crossing my fingers everyone’s day has been far better, and lots of love if it hasn’t. I’ll be back another day with the other two meals for this week. Love you all, thanks for reading.

Bonus: Guinness passed the fuck out after being outside all day.