When [He's] in Rome

Long distance relationships are hard. It takes a lot of effort to keep one going while separated, but it is doable. And with the right person, it’s worth it.

In our second stretch of time that we’ve been apart, we’ve really made the effort to show that the relationship is important to us. We Skype almost every day: talking about how our day went, complete with its triumphs and grievances. The important thing in any relationship is keeping the line of communication open, but it’s absolutely fascinating how many couples tend to forget that.

The other thing we do during our talks is watch Babylon 5 episodes at the same time together. He got me hooked on the series when he was visiting over the summer, and it is an activity that helps us feel connected despite his being 4500 miles away. We’ll watch one, at most three, and I’ll hear him giggle at my expressions.

(My Can't-Look-Away Expression)

(My Season Finale Expression)

Lately, he’s been having a lack of motivation where meals are concerned. He’s a lot like me in that regard; unless it’s a moment shared with people we care about, food is typically considered food and nothing more. Sure, we are creative with leftovers and think of new things of make, but the spark of cooking just isn’t there. So we came up with a plan to use Skype for more than witty banter and Babylon 5 marathons.

Now, we use it in the kitchen.

I don’t know who decided what the dish would be, but the point of this act of connecting was the following:

1. It would be the same dish.
2. It would be from the same recipe.
3. It would be prepared, cooked, and eaten simultaneously. (My lunchtime is his dinnertime, so it works out beautifully.)

Even 4500 miles away, we can still cook together.

The dish was a Roman classic: Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe. Any Roman will emphasize that it has three ingredients and only three ingredients. Always. No exceptions.

Cheese + Black pepper + Pasta = Delizioso. 

He got the recipe off of the Tales of Ambrosia site, and although I used gluten free pasta and the wrong cheese (It was a Pecorino Romano / Parmesan blend), it was absolutely divine.

I loved her trick of putting the serving bowl on top of the pot to heat it up with steam. The only differences were I made a fourth of the recipe (enough for one really hungry person or two just hungry enough persons) and I simply mixed the ingredients in the drained pot before putting it on the hot plate. Oh, and using a blend of cheeses. (I can already feel the Romans cringing from here…)

(image source)

I still stand by my statement in saying that Tinkyáda’s® Rice Pasta is the best I’ve encountered in my gluten-free journey thus far. We use many of their products in our noodle dishes, and their spaghetti pasta was perfect to use in this recipe. Did I mention it slurps like semolina-based pasta?

Now that's what I call quality.

The Creative Mind & Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Green Peppers

I’ve always believed a Creative Mind is a terrible thing to waste. A good friend of mine asked me, after recently sampling a few of my meals, how I was able to come up with my recipes. I was rather baffled by the question, because it never occurred to me that making up recipes as I cooked them was anything special. Sometimes, they turned out amazing. And sometimes… well, not so much.

The Creative Mind is a wondrous entity. It’s that little voice in your head that gives you an image, a word, a recipe, an equation, a feeling, or all of the above. For cooking, it may tell you that a combination of flavors or ingredients may or may not work, encouraging you to go out of your comfort zone. If it didn’t turn out as you expected and/or wanted, this voice will not criticize or yell. Rather, it may say what could be done differently the next time and to try it again. It turns flops into learning experiences. It turns the process of making a meal into an adventure. It turns the meal into a cornucopia of insight.

I find it interesting how my week of R & R was my Creative Mind’s time to producing one amazing recipe after another in my mind’s eye, resulting in meals I never considered until I made them. Most of the recipes I didn’t even take photos of, though I did write them down for future reference. My Creative Mind shined through this week, and more often than not I was in the kitchen, making a mess or two.

For a moment I feared that cooking was replacing my other artistic loves, partially because it has been years since I’ve written poetry on a regular basis or drew more than a sketch in a college notebook. The only thing I’ve really photographed lately has been food and/or blog-related, not like the plethora of photos of people, places, and my viewpoints of life as I’d done six months before. Now I realize I haven’t lost my artistic talents, but they have evolved into a specific focus as opposed to having many fingers in many cooking pots. Cookery is the art form that allows me to share my work with others in a way I’ve never been able to do with my other artistic talents.

To strengthen your Creative Mind in regards to cooking, I recommend looking for inspiration everywhere you can, whether it be from cookbooks, television shows, blogs, family members, and friends. I have a tendency to stray away from recipes, particularly because my Creative Mind likes to think it came up with the idea on its own (but I do give credit where it is due, and will always link to the original recipe or site my source).

When you have an idea, whether it be directed to a certain ingredient, cuisine, or food type, picture it in your Mind’s Eye using all the senses. Imagine what it will Look like, from start to finish. Visualize the Sounds that will come from making the dish. Envision the Smells wafting from the product. Think of how it [utensils, bakeware, and ingredients] would Feel in your hands, then in your mouth, as you Taste it. I like to balance meals, but at the same time use ingredients that many wouldn’t think of as compatible. When I’m unsure, I have a tendency to smell ingredients side by side, or taste the combination of flavors when I can. If it doesn’t smell or taste “right” to you and your Creative Mind, it may not turn out the way you’re expecting. One thing I stress, however, is that looks can be deceiving so try not to solely base a recipe on sight alone.

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Sometimes, the best way you can enhance your Creative Mind is by taking a classic and putting your own twist to make it unique. To quote one of my favorite gastro-adventurers of all time, Bizarre Foods’ Andrew Zimmern, “If it looks good, eat it.” But I say unto you, “If you can think it, make it.”

The only person keeping you from making a fabulous meal is yourself.

 Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Green Peppers

3 Green bell peppers, halved vertically
1 Medium white onion, halved vertically and sliced into thin shreds
3 Garlic cloves, finely diced
12 – 16 oz Shaved beefsteak, coarsely chopped into manageable, bite-sized pieces
10 shakes (1/2 tsp.) Red chili pepper flakes
1 tsp Salt
3 slices of Fontina cheese, cut into 6 pieces
3 thick slices Large tomato, cut into crescents

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a large steaming pot (or skillet filled up to an inch of water), steam the peppers on high heat until soft.
In a large greased skillet, cook the onions, garlic, salt, and pepper flakes until the onions are translucent and soft on medium heat.
Add the shaved beefsteak and stir until the steak is fully cooked and the ingredients thoroughly mixed.
On a greased baking sheet (or lined with parchment or aluminum), place the peppers facing up.
Using tongs, put the beefsteak-onion filling into the peppers.
Lay the cheese slices on top, and the tomato crescents on top of the cheese.
Sprinkle salt and pepper as garnish, and put them into the oven for 15 minutes. (You can also broil to slightly brown the tops for three minutes after the 15 minutes are up.)
Top with sour cream and serve with a side of rice.

Makes 6 stuffed pepper halves. Serves 3 as a main course, and 6 as a starter.

Forbidden Coconut Macaroon Breakfast Bake

Despite finding this morning’s weather to be similar to yesterday’s, the offness I felt has disappeared and only happy thoughts are left. Saturday mornings are the best, even when you get up earlier than you expected. The coffee tastes better, the breakfast isn’t rushed… and the cartoons are funnier.

Yes, I am aware that I’m a senior in college and still watch cartoons. But there’s nothing quite like sipping coffee while laughing to reruns of the “Rugrats” or “Phineas and Ferb”, though “Ed, Edd, n Eddy” still has a special place in my heart.

And then there’s “Chowder”, where food and cartoon magic combine.

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“Chowder”, created by C.H. Greenblatt, only recently became a personal favorite. In the mystical city of Marzipan, Chowder, a young cat-bear-rabbit creature boy becomes an apprentice to a chef named Mung Daal, who owns a catering company. Truly a magical place where the creatures are named after food, the ingredients are weird and extraordinary, and the recipes are as imaginary as they are creative. This show, although very much a vivid and colorful surrealistic interpretation of cooking, is exactly the kind of reality people should have when making a meal. There is an attention to detail, to the senses (good and bad), to color and texture. These are things I believe people view to be out of reach nowadays.

But there is a select few that know better, that turn the eating experience from something fictional to something tangible. With cooking, nothing is impossible unless you think it is.

If you can imagine it, you can make it. It’s as simple as that. (In fact, that gives me an idea...)

This rainy morning made the outside vivid in green and other earthy colors, the birds chirping, the boyfriend sleeping, and the cats demanding “out”. I decided to put my imagination to the test and finally make that breakfast bake, and make it right this time. As I added the ingredients I thought of how I wanted it to look, how I wanted it to taste, how I wanted the texture, how I wanted the color.

After three (or four) attempts, I believe it is finally Edible Perspective (and “Chowder”) worthy.

Ashley, I hope you like it.

Forbidden Coconut Macaroon Breakfast Bake

1/2 c. Forbidden rice (a.k.a. Glutinous Black or Purple rice)
1 tbsp. Coconut flour
1/4 tsp. Baking powder
1/8 tsp. Sea salt
1 tbsp. Chia seeds
1 tbsp. Shredded coconut
4 tbsp. So Delicious coconut milk
1/4 tsp. Vanilla
1 Egg
Cinnamon and nutmeg (to taste)

Preheat the oven to 350°F
In a mixing bowl, add the ingredients and mix until thoroughly combined.
Pour the mixture into a greased skillet, the smallest one you have.
Place the skillet into the oven for thirty minutes or until set.
Once done, use a spatula to get under the breakfast bake and place it on your plate.
Garnish with whatever catches your fancy. (I sprinkled a little coconut milk and added a dollop of peanut butter for mine.)

Serves one.