Move Over Martha

In an attempt to refocus my energies into something other than my rapidly deteriorating and rather sad unemployed existence, I felt that it was time to draw upon my inner Martha. I'd already ransacked the surrounding charity and second hand shops for odds and ends for the apartment like spice racks and towel holders and door mats. Then, I managed to locate an Indian store and over a few trips back and forth I stocked up on anything and everything I would possibly need to cook any sort of Indian meal; Garam masalas, ginger garlic pastes, dahnia and jeera powders and of course good 'ol Kashmiri chillies. For some absurd reason there were no moderate sized bags and I was compelled to buy the ginormo industry sized packet. Ah well, guess I was going to be using them chillies in a lot of my cooking whether or not the recipe called for 'em!

Once stocked up, I began with the experiments. Never been one to enjoy the whole cooking and culinary process in general, I figured I had nothing to loose and everything to gain. I'd already done pretty well with the chicken curry and potato tikkis over the weekend, so the next time Beans was over, I tried out Sai Bhaji (spinach in gram dal) paired with Kori Sukka (spicy dried chicken) and served with rice and rotis.

Indian food wasn't the only thing I was trying out. Flexing my culinary skills a little further I attmpted Italian sauces and all sorts of combinations of pastas with beef or chicken. Some of it like the penne with chicken and spinach in cream sauce turned out yum. Others such as the tuna with yellow and red peppers in spicy thai sauce - not so good. Never again!
My Martha-esque persona wasn't limited to the kitchen. I was also trying to shape my habitate to my own specifications. The room as I had inherited it came with some nice and simple furniture, but little character so to speak. There was much to be done to get it away from looking like last year's Ikea catelogue and more like something with a little more me in it. A few weeks and some basic alterations later, it was a we bit better. Not quite there yet, but I'm in no rush.