Spontaneous Delicious Food

hey all,

This weekend went pretty well. I did an interview Saturday morning, which was interesting and might lead to a full time job.

After that, Michi and I met up and hung out in a cafe for a bit, and then we made dinner. I've been thinking about food that I used to make in Holland and specifically about food that you can make with peanut butter. This lead to a spontaneous attempt to make my own version of satay, chicken with vegetables covered in a peanut butter-based sauce. It turned out really well, so well that I can't believe I didn't follow a recipe, which is something I almost never do.

• 100g peanuts
• peanut oil to taste
• salt to taste
• 1-2 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons yuzu liquor (a Japanese citrus fruit)
• chili powder
• black pepper

Basically, you end up making your own peanut butter with the oil, salt and peanuts by blending them in a mixer or food processor. Set that aside, and saute some onion, chopped garlic and chopped ginger root. Then add cubed chicken, and fry for a couple minutes. Add garlic chives, spinach, and bean sprouts. Once the bean sprouts are soft but still little crunchy, put all that in a separate bowl. Take half the liquor, and deglaze the pan. Add the peanut butter, soy sauce, the rest of the liquor, and the spices, and cook. There should still be quite a bit of water in the pan from all the cooked vegetables, so use that to reduce the thickness of the peanut butter. Finally, add the chicken/veggie mix to the sauce, and serve with rice or noodles.

After dinner, we watched a movie about a Japanese climbing couple who lost most of their toes and fingers after being trapped on a mountain in the Himalayas. Five years later, they successfully achieved a first ascent on a 1000m mountain in Greenland. Pretty inspiring, but also a little weird. I love rock climbing, but I'm not sure if I'd be able to come back (or if I'd want to) after losing half of my fingers.

Sunday was just hanging out in a park: cheap, but really great. we got to talk a lot, and the weather was sunny and warm, plus the park was bright green with all the trees. Money-wise, I've canceled my yoga classes, don't intend to buy any video games, or go to the rock climbing gym, until I get paid in June or unless I get a part time job or change to a full time job. The next 33 days will be pretty tight, but I'm shopping pretty smart, and I'm still eating well and having fun, so I'm not incredibly worried.

Cheers,