A Sandwich for Saturday

I have kind of gone lax on cooking dinners lately. Do you ever get in those funks? It seems I am constantly cleaning pots and pans in my kitchen, only to turn around and get them dirty again for the next meal. And I have run low on ideas. I have plenty of things I would like to make, only none of them stand out from the pack. And so I have a bagel for dinner. Or popcorn. Or cereal. However, this weekend Aaron was over at my place and, after a day of geocaching and a laundry adventure, I felt he should have something better than whatever I can cobble together from my fridge. So, we made Cuban sandwiches.

If I had known how easy these were to make, I think I would have made these a lot earlier on in life. Some lunch meat, cheese, a pickle, mustard and a roll and you are good to go. I do not have a panini press, so I used two cast iron skillets to flatten and toast the sandwiches. From experience, I learned if you do it this way, it is best to flip the sandwiches midway through or bread not on the hot pan will get mushy, not crispy. Throw in a side of chips and a cool beverage and you have great quick eats. So good and quick Aaron and I had Cuban sandwiches again Sunday for lunch.

I am going to keep this sandwich in my back pocket for future quick and tasty dinners. Maybe next time I will try to recreate some beloved sandwiches from restaurants that are now far from home. Grilled Indigo from Blue Baker, anyone?

30 Before 30: Pad Thai

As part of my 30 Before 30 list, last Friday I endeavored to make pad thai. From the outside, this dish was slightly daunting. Strange ingredients, quick cooking steps, and an unknown outcome. This is a dish that is so representative of a culture and national cuisine, I was afraid I would totally flub it.

My love of pad thai began on a trip Aaron and I took to San Francisco. One night after a day of sight-seeing, we were starved and looking for some good grub to eat close to our hotel. We happened upon King of Thai Noodle House off Union Square. Aaron was in the mood for curry, if I recall, and I thought I would try something new and go for pad thai. We ordered it to go, paid our cash, and returned to the hotel to eat dinner and watch a movie. Maybe it was the day of walking up and down San Francisco's hills, maybe they put some special stomach-expanding sauce in the dish, but I ate about two people's worth of pad thai in about 10 minutes. So incredibly good. So good in fact that Aaron and I went back the next night and I ordered the exact same thing. Aaron ordered something that was no doubt grossly inferior to my pad thai.

Ever since then I have hesitantly ordered pad thai at a couple places and been disappointed. So, I took it upon myself to figure out how to make it at home. I used Alton Brown's recipe and gathered the ingredients from the grocery store and Asian market. Strangest ingredients are the dried shrimp (you can see their little eye balls!), tamarind paste, and palm sugar.

This is one of those dishes when, after I make it, I am not completely sure of anything. Was the tofu done? Did the rice noodles soak long enough? If I find a rejuvenated dried shrimp, will I eat it? Am I about to give Aaron and myself food poisoning?

Thankfully no food poisoning occurred, I only found one dried shrimp, and the pad thai was pretty good. It is not yet on par with King of Thai, but I know I can make it again and hone my pad thai making skills. Very filling, great reheated, and a nice break from the norm of dinners.

Although I am going to hide my bag of dried shrimp until I make it again (they stare at me!), I am sure it will not be too long until I try my hand at pad thai again.

30 Things before I Turn 30

This is not a new year's resolution list. I was surfing the web one day...probably when I should have been working, and I came across this cool idea of making a list of 30 things to do before you turn 30. With that particular birthday arriving this year, I thought I would make a list of my own to see if I could accomplish it. And, since telling people about things helps in the encouragement and accountability, I am going to share it with y'all! Now, mine is fairly tame when you look at other people's lists, but it is my list and I like it...except for a few I may change if I can think of something better.

1. Make a layered cake from scratch
2. Read Bible, cover to cover
3. Make pad thai from scratch
4. Make a dinner calendar for a month's worth of meals
5. Go to the Biltmore Estate
6. Go to the dermatologist for a skin cancer screening (aka moley doctor)
7. *Personal goal*
8. Follow RunTex training and run in a 5k
9. Lose at least 12 pounds
10. See an allergist/nutritionist about my food issues (OAS)

11. Have people over for dinner 6 times

12. Pay for the order of the car behind me in the drive through

13. Go to the Outer Banks

14. Reach 50 caches found with Geocaching

15. Get a pedicure

16. Make sangria

17. Visit a state I have not been to

18. Master Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day

19. Bid soda a fond farewell

20. Go dairy-less (aside from yogurt) for 30 days and see how I feel

21. Have a girls' night

22. Eat at Lilly's Pizza

23. Make homemade marshmallows

24. Roast and eat a beet

25. Get a physical

26. Make and eat a whole lobster

27. Make it through my Pilates DVD without stopping due to gasping breath or inability to bend

28. Read 3 books from my compilation "100 Best Books" list

29. Buy whole nutmeg

30. Watch 4 movies from my American Film Institute Top 100 movies list

I will be adding these to a page on my blog so I can keep everyone updated on my progress. There will also be a few posts on the more interesting items and adventures I have.