Sunday, June 10, 2007

Sunday Scribblings #1 - SPICY

I have decided to join the Sunday Scribblings
group. I did, after all, start blogging so that I would WRITE more...I'll use Sundays for my creative writing day...



"A pinch of salt
some garlic too
a little spice
I give to you"




I never cook without at least two forms of pepper by my side. I was born in ANgola, Africa, where my parents both lived for much of their young adulthood. The cultural influence of that country followed them, and in turn me, back to Portugal. It was in the music we listened to, in the art work we displayed, and most definitely in the food we ate. Mom was never afraid of spices, pepper, curry, paprika, you name it, she used it. She never met a recipe she couldn't add to and make better, tastier, spicier. And this is how I learned to cook. Through my teen years and up until today, I have also surrounded myself with friends of different cultures. Laotian, Thai, Indian, Cambodian, Haitian, Liberian, Nigerian, Italian, Irish, Portuguese, American, they've all a little something to the table. My table. I take things I learn from each of their cuisines and I apply it to mine. I live alone, therefore, I don't really cook very often. It isn't as much fun to spend hours over a meal, only to eat it alone, in front of the television, in minutes. But I do love to expirement. My spice rack is an entire cabinet in my kitchen. I never cook the same thing twice, because I never measure, I never follow directions, I grab things haphazzardly from the spice cabinet and throw them in. Very seldom do I end up with an undesirable product. And the spicier it is, the better.

I have to remind myself, when I am cooking for others, that not everyone can handle spice the way I can. Cut back on the pepper a bit, I don't want to make you cry at my table. From years of throwing everything from chilli peppers to jalapenos to wasabi in my food, my tongue is desensitized. I'll sit at a table with other and they'll comment on how hot something is, and I'm barely blinking. "It could use a bit more" I'll think.

And I try to live the way I cook. Surrounded by different colors, experiencing unique flavors, giving it all I've got, and throwing in just a little bit more for an extra added jolt. I't always about how spicy it is. More pepper anyone??

See other "Sunday Scribblings" here

8 comments:

Karen Travels said...

I am glad you have joined Sunday Scribblings. I have been doing it since November, but I don't feel spicy enough to post this week...lol...I am getting my spice from reading great posts like yours!!!

mks said...

Welcome to Sunday Scribblings! Remind me if we ever meet to remind you I may act spicy sometimes but I can't eat spicy! Ohh not for me!

Kamsin said...

I love spicy food too! But I guess it's something you need to eat regularly to build up an immunity to it, and the more spice you eat, the more you need! My mouth's watering just reading about all this spicy food!

Anonymous said...

Welcome to Sunday Scribblings! I've been doing it for a few weeks now, and it has been a good experience. Hope it will be for you, too.

Dalissa McEwen Reeder said...

I just joined Sunday Scribblings, too! And, now that we have that in common... you are welcome to come over and cook spicy food at my house any day! I have five kids so I have to tone down what I cook to some extent although they are used to eating much spicier food than their gradeschool counterparts.

Anonymous said...

So glad to see you here at Scribblings.
The post and photo are perfect together.
What a job you did on that photo - did you use Photoshop or some sort of scrapping software?
Be back for another visit soon,
Frances

Karina said...

Karen, thank you for the welcome! I will be happy to read some of your future scribblings! We all need a day off now and again!

mks, I'll try and remember that! Don't worry, I always cook mild for others, unless I know they like spice.

Kasmin, it is true, the more you eat, the more you need. I swear, I've burned off taste buds!

Sonya, thank you, I'm looking forward to more scribbling.

sentient, I love that you're teaching your kids to love spice! When I have kids, I'll be doing the same!

Frances...afraid I can't take too much credit for that photo. I did take it, but my camera comes with some nifty "frame" settings, and that was one of them. I edited it a bit to add the orange color, but that's about all I did...

DJPare said...

Can't live without pepper!

Welcome to Sunday Scribbling!