A recipe revisited!

I first must note, that I have recently been made aware that some of my friends and family are ACTUALLY reading this blog--which has sortof changed the entire game for me because before it was just me sortof hollering into an empty canyon.  It was me just going off ---or on....and on....about whatever struck my fancy with some faraway goal of wishing someone would read me.

This was sortof like an online journal.  Something  between my own journal and something between what I would post on facebook.  Now, it's not like this should be a surprise that some people have actually taken a gander at this, because I did add the website to my email signature in the hopes that people WOULD click and read it, but the difference between wishing and reality is--as we all know, vast.

And now that I know people might check it out on occassion, it is THRILLING but also TERRIFYING!  I mean, OMG.  People are actually reading what I'm writing.  And what does that mean exactly?  It's like, everything I've ever wanted, but it is also so weird to think that there could be a response or consequence and now, instead of totally free-writing my thoughts, I'm pausing to think...which I don't really like doing, but I guess, being thoughtful is better than being thoughtless. So, on that note, on to my night of cooking!

It was during my other life in Dubai, that I realized my love for cooking.  Growing up, I used to really enjoy baking occasionally, but it was never something that I did often enough to truly appreciate.

When I lived in Dubai, I experienced cooking and food in an entirely different way than I ever thought possible.  My ex-mother in law was probably my first real experience of how to COOK.  And I do mean that in capitals.  She was an AMAZING cook, who yes, had the help of a maid to be her sous chef, but the meals she turned out were divine.

Mostly she did Lebanese cooking--as she was Lebanese and anyone who has every cooked this cuisine will know, tho it is simple, it takes a LOT of preparation and also it is extremely time consuming.

She attempted to teach me, I think, but in actuality, I might rescind my earlier statement, because truly, it was my ex-husband that taught me the ropes.  He was also an amazing cook and we did it quite often together, until I figured out how to do it--and love it on my own.

Perhaps it was when we went through out vegetarian only days that I realized that chopping vegetables was cathartic and then when I made 41 days worth of meals with veggies only, I realized I could call myself a cook.

I have progressed in cuisines as far as branching out, but my favorite food to cook, to this days, is Lebanese.

However,  the other night, I made an old favorite, Chicken Tikka Masala.  From scratch.

I haven't made Indian in years.  I've eaten it plenty, but haven't had time in the last 5 years and recently decided to make it for my family.

And so goes, the true reason that I find cooking so cathartic.  Because food brings people together.  I find true joy in cooking for my loved ones and it's the only way I know how to bring my family all together.

Since moving back to Vermont, and since starting this blog, I said I would cook 100 new things.  And while this isn't new, it is something revisited, and so, I decided to get on track with the cooking part of the new me.

In any event, I am rambling, but cooking this meal brought me my family and according to them, they thought it was pretty darn good--so, mission accomplished---at least for now. One dish down and 99 to go!