Bunissima

Cooking at home and eating home-made food can sometimes be a bigger satisfaction both in terms of accomplishment (like “I am good enough at cooking something new and make it come out well) and satisfaction of the taste buds than eating at restaurants. I have always loved sushi, from the very first time I had it. I cried that time, as I was being generously advised to put as much wasabi as I could, because it’s good for the savour.

And ever since I dreamed of making my own sushi. I have found yesterday in a supermarket a sushi meal kit. It was perfect for me as it had the instructions on how this actually works, what is the process. they always make it seem so complicated in the cooking shows and in the recipes online that it almost scares you, making you think that you’ll fail and waste time and money on it, so the cooking kit was perfect, not too expensive, not too complicated.

It had
a cup of uncooked rice,
1oz rice vinegar (30 grams).,
some soy packets, which obviuosly were not sufficient, but happily I had some soy sauce at home,
some wasabi paste which did not look too appealing, but I was fortunate enough to have had some wasabi powder from someone who loves me,
4 nori sheets,
the bamboo mat and chopsticks.
I also used about 6 oz of smoked salmon and 1 cucumber cut in the size of matches, as it was suggested on the package.

I boiled the rice, mixed it with vinegar and let it cool. While the rice was cooking I cut the cucumbers.

After the rice was cooled suffciently, I spread it on the nori and added the salmon and cucumbers.

The result was great. The rice was sticking all together without spreading, the wasabi and soy were awesome, and the overall taste was great. I think it should be easy to try this with ingredients separately bought, but the most important thing is to buy the special rice for sushi. The rest is easy and fast.

Special thanks to Cristina for assisting me.

I like to cook. Once in a while I like to try new things. While paella is not all that exotic, I never did it and today I just told myself that I have to try it once and for all. Here is what you need:

1/4 cup (2 fl. oz) of olive oil

5 cloves minced garlic

1 large yellow onion, chopped

4 cups (32 fl. oz) vegetable broth

2 cups (16 oz) rice

4 medium tomatoes, skinned, seeded and chopped

1 small red bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips

1 small green bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips

1 small yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips

2 cups (14 oz) artichoke hearts (I used endives but I guess artichokes are much better)

3 oz surimi

1 lemon

a dash of pepper

some parsley, if desired or to garnish

lemon wedges, to garnish

1. I cut all the vegetables, and sauteed the onion. I added the garlic a little bit later, as garlic cooks faster than onion. Meanwhile I started boiling the water for the broth.

2. Add the rice and sautee for a little while, up to 5 min max, add the bell peppers and tomatoes and cook for 3-5 more min. I also added some garlic again and some pepper.

Meanwhile the soup was ready so I poured it over the rice.

3. When the liquid was absorbed, I added the endives. I also put some chipotle chile pepper. After 5 more minutes I turned off the gas and added the surimi.

Here is how it looked when ready to eat:

It was a great cooking experience and this will become one of the dishes I cook at home regularly.

‘Se numeste rugaciunea domneasca pentru ca ne-a fost data de hristos si ne rugam impreuna cu el cu insasi cuvintele sale:

‘”Tatal nostru care esti in ceruri” - este chemarea lui dumnezeu ca cel ce (aici trebuia “care”, ca el este, s-ar zice, o persoana, imateriala ce-i drept, dar indubitabil cineva) ne-a creat. Iar cuvantul “in ceruri” cheama inaltarea gandului spre ale lui dumnezeu si departarea de cele lumesti.’ Si cu totii o facem fantastic de bine. Adica ne inaltam la ceruri, deci, ne departam de cele lumesti si cam asa ceva. Cel mai des cand avem nevoie de ceva

‘”Sfinteasca-se numele tau” - recunoastem sfintenia lui dumnezeu si cerem sa coboare intre noi, peste noi, in noi. Ne luam angajamentul ca-l vom sfintii in comportament, ganduri, cuvintele noastre.’ Sigur ca ne luam angajamentul, sigur, daca dai ceva la schimb.

‘Trebuie sa inlocuim injuraturile: “mancate-ar raiul”, “luate-ar domnul”, “fire-al tatalui.”‘ Sa inlocuim injuraturile cu ce? A inlocui, adica, ceva cu ceva. Nu poti sa inlocuiesti ceva fara sa spui ce. E ca si cum ai compara ceva fara sa spui cu ce. Oricum, e mai plapitant sa te ia dracu’ decat sa te ia domnu’. In plus, stiti cu totii ce se intampla cand te ia domnu’ fie ca vrei sau nu. E cam ireversibil.

“Vie imparatia ta” - ii cerem sa reverse pacea, bucuria existenta in ceruri peste noi si sa ne invrednicim de a cunoaste in veci.’ A cunoaste ce? Religia nu stie ce e ala un C.D.? C.I.? Ce ce?!

“Faca-se voia ta, precum…” - ii cerem puterea de a savarsi binele, asemeni ingerilor sai, care se supun fara sa carteasca, implinind poruncile fara mahnire si cu toata recunostina fata de Dumenzeu. Fara mahnire, fara carcoteala, ei, foaie verde de trifoi, ai dat-o ca lupu-n oi! Romanu’ e altfel. Noi le-am inventat pe mahnire, pe carteala, pe nerecunostinta…

“Painea noastra, cea de toate zilele” - grija pentru trup dar si pentru cele necesare aproapelui nostru, castigata prin munca. Nu doar pentru trup sa ne ingrijim, ci ii cerem “Painea noastra cea spre fiinta” - painea spirituala si sufleteasca ce se dobandeste prin cunoasterea cuvintelor din evanghelie si impartasirea cu trupul si sufletul.’
Varianta 1 de comentariu: … ăă, cred ca ai incurcat filmu’ “painea spre fiinta” e din filmu’ care se cheama “alta rugaciune” sau “alte cuvinte sacre inventate de om.”

Varianta 2 de comentariu: mi se pare ca fraza asta, care este, nu prea are mare sens, adica, totu’ e cam ca dansa intr-insa.

Varianta 3 de comentariu: mai lasa trupul la o parte ca p-ala trebuie sa-l expunem pa hi5. Chiar daca avem 11-12 anisori. (nu imi cereti exemple, ca nu vi le dau, e suficient de jenant sa vezi fete de 11 ani in pozitii de hustler si machiate si (ne-)imbracate ca la televizor)

Concluzii
1. Daca tot te hotarasti, ca profesor de religie sa facii comentarii religioase, studiu sau analiza pe “text” religios, macar fa una mai inteligenta. Astea sunt niste boraturi pe care copii nu ar trebui niciodata sa trebuiasca sa le invete pentru un amarat de 10 care oricum nu conteaza nici in viata, nici in viata familiala, personala, sufleteasca sau/si spirituala, whatever.

2. Daca religia e obligatorie si daca unii copii sunt de alte religii, atunci ce, ii convertiti? Ah, nu ce alte religii?!! Eretici, si nu alta!

3. Daca a sti religie e atat de important, de ce nu se preda macar asa, ca povesti sau intr-o forma adecvata ce scrie in biblie? Sa se povesteasca ce scrie in vechiul si noul testament. Inainte erau desene animate cu personaje care cumva ajungeau “inapoi” si treceau prin toate momentele reprezentative din biblie. Macar erau instructive, invatai ceva. Acum s-au dus si nu mai avem decat Totally Spies, Naruto si alte chestii pentru generatia pop-cheapHipHop-hi5-messenger. Sa stie si copii astia ce inseamna biblia de fapt, sa stie ce invataminte se trag din biblie, care este “istoria” care sta la baza neamului abrahamic. Ce e aia re-li-gi-e!

4. Si ca tot veni vorba de religiile abrahamice, de ce sa nu se predea o istorie a religiilor acestora? De ce sa nu fie lasati ei, copii, sa aiba puterea de decizie. “Hai mama la biserica, ca e pastele. -Nu mama, eu nu vin, ca m-am facut evreu.”

Ah, nu, mii de scuze cuvioase, imi pare rau ca am pomenit tocmai de stramosii crestinilor, adica evreii, care sunt ca niste rude sarace care te jeneaza de fiecare data cand sunt prezente sau cand se aduce aminte de ele. Alungi ideea dintr-un gest al mainii ca si cum ai alunga o musca.

A si, am uitat, ce ar face bietii preoti daca nu ar mai preda si ei pe ici pe colo in caz ca enoriasii nu si-au onorat darile intru cele sfinte si eventual nu le-a ramas destula mancare si vin de pe la pomeni, paste, una-alta, donatii pentru o noua biserica?

DISCLAIMER: aceasta este o lectie de religie adevarata, predata in clasa a sasea. Comentariile imi apartin si imi pare rau daca lezeaza pe cineva, dar n-am ce face. Mi se pare de prost gust sa predai asa ceva unor copii de clasa a sasea intr-un limbaj de mult apus, cand ei au nevoie sa faca diferenta intre sexualitatea care le este bagata pe gat cu forta si a isi trai varsta adecvat, intre a fi hip si cool daca au un telefon ultima generatie si a fi modesti si concentrati asupra unor hobby-uri productive cum ar fi cititul, sportul, intre binele care inseamna bun simt si raul care inseamna aroganta. Si in cele din urma, dar foarte important, intre a invata ca spiritualitate nu inseamna religiozitate ci un anumit mod de a trai, a trai in sine.

I never thought I would love a cat. I always wondered how come people love their cats so much. To me the cats were always as indifferent as I was to them. Trying to make them like me failed miserably so I did not even bother trying.

I love all the dogs. When I walk on the street and see a dog, I love him. I potentially love all the dogs in the world. Seeing them suffer makes me cry.

But cats did not raise any feelings for me. Until recently, when Pisică (Pee-see-kah) and I fell in love. When he first saw me, he ran away. But as soon as he smelled the smoked fish I was putting on a plate for myself, he came in meowing insistently and we were never apart ever since. He is hungry all the time and plays all the time. Pisică likes to play with everything, including his food. He sleeps the days and meows the night. He is adorable. He totally hates being washed. But we’ll get through this together. Pisică also likes my computer a lot. Unfortunately, he got the wrong side of internet and all.

Hmmm, I wonder what happens if i touch this…

No Photoshop this time, just Gimp. Prague did all the work for me.

I love this movie. It’s perfect. My favorite part is when Blondie takes the note that Angel’s Eyes had left for him and Tuco, because Tuco could not read it. And Blondie reads it:”See you soon, idiots. It’s for you” and hands it to Tuco. I also loved how good a team they made together. Blondie told Tuco the name of the grave where the money was hidden. “Sure I’m sure,” said he, chewing on his cigar. Later on, Tuco tries to flee.

When they were all thinking about who is going to shoot who so the lucky one can see what name Blondie had written on the rock, the tension was so nicely built, with amazing details going from the man to it’s gun and from slow motion to a dizzying saga of details, that it keeps you in suspense and nervous waiting for what it seems to be a long time, even if it’s probably less than a minute. But nothing compares to Tuco’s face when the rope is around his neck once more, yelling for Blondie and staring at the bags full of money that belonged to him now. Blondie is a man of principles. Even if Tuco was a traitor, he leaves him half of the money. But teaches him a lesson about team work.

As he said, (approximate quote:) “there are two kinds of people in this world, the ones with a gun, and the ones who dig.” Now that is team work.

Reminds me of childhood. I never missed childhood, never wanted to “go back to being a child.” But I miss those slices of life that come to me at times.

A green walnut madeleine, when all you do is focus on eating as many as you can…