9/27/2010

Cooking in the Heat

For some reason, just as the heat is kicking in and our summer is starting here in San Francisco, I’ve been itching to cook more. It’s funny to see how my creative outlets change every so often, this year it’s been a lot of photography (of the plastic camera variety) and cooking. There’s something just as satisfying to me in creating a meal as there is in making a piece of jewelry or embroidering something to hang on the wall. I’m a decent cook (which I have to assume comes from growing up with an Italian mother who made Veal Piccata and Eggplant Parmesan as effortlessly as if it were a frozen TV dinner) but since I’ve had my own apartment I’ve discovered a new love for making meals and watching people enjoy them.

Last week I made Spicy Baked Chicken from this book, a delicious pasta dish which consisted of homemade sauce, fried eggplant, fried shallots, and ricotta cheese (my own creation), and a Meatloaf, which was surprisingly the most fun to make. I found the Meatloaf recipe on Pioneer Woman Cooks, a site many of my foodie friends dislike, but one I love for her simple ingredients and photo documented instructions. This was my first ever Meatloaf and I was pretty happy with the results. As soon as I saw the recipe I knew my comfort food-loving boyfriend would probably like it, so I bookmarked it and gave him the option of that or Chicken Tikka Masala for dinner on Saturday. While the Chicken looked amazing it required a lot of spices we didn’t have so we opted for the Meatloaf. The sauce really made this dish and when I make it again I’ll definitely be adding a lot more spice to the meat.



Forgive my crappy photos!

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