I'm not a huge fan of cooking. Somestimes I don't mind, or even enjoy it, but usually I'm busy with other things and just want food. Denis is a pretty good cook and I like it when he cooks and I clean up, but he doesn't always feel like cooking either. He'd rather go out. I'm too cheap and tend to resort to frozen Amy's meals and canned soup. I'm not a bad cook, I can follow a recipe and improvise when necessary, just lazy. Right now I only have one "company appropriate dish"--chili, although I can also do an okay lasagna and of course basics like spaghetti, etc. (One of my favorite quick dinners to make for myself is couscous with chickpeas and steamed broccoli/asparagus/other green veggie, quick, healthy, and yummy.)

So among the various kitchen gadgets we got for our wedding was a crockpot which I'd always been intending to use, but never got around to it. Denis recently bought me a slow-cooker cookbook and we've been experimenting a bit. It's pretty neat to just throw everything in there, leave for 3-7 hours, then come back and it's done. Last week I chose chicken and wild rice stew which Denis made. I had it for lunch all week and it was great. This week Denis picked chicken and sausage gumbo and it's my turn to cook. I've never made gumbo before (or anything creole, it's creole cooking right?) I've never even eaten gumbo, so it will be interesting to see how it turns out. I got to experiment with new cooking techniques (I made a dark brown roux) and new ingredients (who knew that okra are fuzzy.)

Denis stayed in bed all day because he was super hungover from Mindy's party last night. I felt fine (I had some to drink early in the evening, but I was the designated driver.) The party was lots of fun, it was nice to meet some new people, most of them were either Dartmouth alums or Mindy's co-workers so it was a little computer-person heavy, but fun nonetheless.

We've had an ikea weekend. Saturday we went to arrange to have my new desk delivered (for Thursday) and bought a small file-cabinet thing for my papers, and a desk chair. We then came home and put together the bathroom cabinet we bought last week. Then we discovered that the blue chair as a funny jean-pocket-inspired design on the back. Okay for a college freshman, but not for me. Sunday we went back to ikea, returned the chair, got a new one, also bought a huge stand-up mirror and toilet brush, Got home and realized that unlike the blue chair that had castors included, this one does not. Each ikea trip is a 3-4 hour ordeal and I'm refusing to go back for a third day so Denis is going to go. (He's clearly feeling a bit better since he's playing Madden football on the computer now.) Due to ikea trips I'm a bit behind on my work so most of today and all of next week is devoted to reading.

From: [identity profile] osirusbrisbane.livejournal.com


Gumbo is awesome. As is your chili. I think the world ought broaden its definition of "company-appropriate dish". Because I know what you mean - Burritos are one of my only company-appropriate dishes, under that definition. But once I've known someone for a while, I have no trouble inviting them over for pasta, stirfry, porquiche, boiled mash, whatever. I feel like, if it tastes decent and is reasonably presentable, it's fine for company. Lasagna would certainly qualify. And of course, once you know people well, you can lower your standards.

From: [identity profile] grumph.livejournal.com


Okay for a college freshman, but not for me.

My roommates think they are still college freshman.

From: [identity profile] toran.livejournal.com


Don't forget, giving people nice alcohol is for suckers!
And only rich people can afford to pony up $30 apiece for a party! Good Lord!

From: [identity profile] toran.livejournal.com


I have this weird thing where I intellectually have a very good grasp of how to make things. Partially from watching a lot of Iron Chef and partially from having a good taste memory.
And I'll walk around the local farmers' market and be like; "Man, I could cook all kinds of things with this stuff."
But screw that, who wants to spend an hour or two when you get home cooking? I've got MAYBE 4 hours at the most of time between getting home at night and when I should be going to bed. Cooking for reals takes way too much time unless it's also a social activity. Thank goodness this city feeds me for the same price I would have to pay to feed myself.
.

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