Now I'm Cooking

Living in another country forces you to be resourceful.  Certain things that you take for granted back home don't always come standard.

For example,  you may take a kitchen for granted.  You come to expect things like a microwave, fridge, stove, or a sink with hot water.  Maybe you take it for granted that you can cook a hot meal.  

Now, I must point out that of course homes and apartments have kitchens here in Piura;however, in my boarding house, I don't have access to a kitchen.  So I have to be creative in what I eat. I don't like to eat out for all my meals since that adds up!

So, yes, you can do the math. For the last two months, I haven't had a way to prepare a hot meal at home.  When you don't have a fridge or stove, you have to be creative in your meals.  Also, when you don't have a proper sink with hot water, you have to wash your dishes in your shower to get some slightly hot water on them.

After my colleague moved into the room next to me, we got a fridge, so I could store deli meat, cheese, yogurt and fruit. The possibilities expanded, it was like adding a new set of colors to my crayon collection.  After cold meals at home for months, I was so excited! I normally enjoy cold leftovers, but to be able to heat them up would be nice.

Finally, last Saturday, thanks to a financial contribution from mother, I purchased a toaster and an electric skillet! Now I feel I'm almost cooking with an entire color spectrum!  My first dish?  Spanish rice. Thanks mom! Yeah, rice...but hey, by the time I got to the store, it was so crowded and I did not want to stand in a huge line, plus I am nervous about trying to buy carne o pollo.

I took the skillet out of the box and set it up.  I have to use my desk as not only a computer desk, but it also serves as a food prep area, and now kitchen stove and food prep area.  I tried plugging in the cord and for some reason, it didn't fit the plug!  It also was a short cord, so I had to move the desk closer to the outlet.  Thank goodness for my trusty international converter.  Now I was cooking. The skillet heated up quite fast.

The rice cooked quite nicely and I added a bit of the Mexi-Salsa from the gas station to the mix (wishing for some good queso, olives, and green chilis to add), and then made some wheat wraps for dinner.

I can't tell you had great it was to make a hot meal at home! Now I can make all kinds of things: soup, pasta,  meat, chili, etc... any other suggestions? Oh, yeah, mac and cheese!  It's the little things that make life worth living.  Next time, you complain about "slaving away over a hot stove," maybe remember me and be glad you have one.