Thai Spoons omelet

[cjsmith]

This morning's breakfast: scrambled eggs with some black pepper, some pinched-off bits of green bell pepper, and the teeniest amount of onion I could get in there.

Last time I had too much onion. This time was better. (I was also too lazy for the bacon this time.) I'm starting to work this toward emulating a veggie omelet offered at Thai Spoons, a steam table Thai place near my house. They include, I believe, onion, tomato, and pepper. I will probably always be too lazy to do the tomato. Tomatoes do not grow in a size that fits in a single person's omelet. (Bell peppers and onions don't either, but they freeze better. The peppers I had in strips already. All I had to do this morning was pull a couple out of the bag, pop the bag back in the freezer, and pinch off little bits into the egg.)

Now, though, the bell pepper is crispier and has a stronger flavor than I was expecting. It also doesn't stick to the egg very well. Does the restaurant saute it a bit first? Mayyyybe.

It's still cheaper (taking waste into account), easier, and tastier to go buy a serving. However, I'm now fast enough that I'll beat the trip to a steam table restaurant on time.

Comments

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Thanks! *grin*

In one sense, I already know how to cook. I "throw things together" just fine. I can feed five and I can feed thirty. Nothing fancy, though; just food. In another sense, the sense I mention most on LJ, I know better than to call what I do "cooking". I do plain stuff, not snobbery. I will never feed a foodie anything I make except my fondue. So mostly I claim I don't -- can't -- cook at all. That's my way of opting out of keeping up with the foodier-than-thou crowd.

The thing I truly struggle with is cooking for one. It's wasteful and pricey unless I do it a LOT (or eat the same thing all week). It would be cool if I could get a handle on that. I don't want to commit to cooking all the time. I want options, but without wasting more food than I eat! Little tricks like freezing bell pepper strips are a godsend to me. When you feed thirty you don't ever have to do that. For feeding one, and rarely at that, it's useful.

[sebab.livejournal.com]

What about making and freezing individual portions? That has worked for me in the past.

I can make some things that I feel proud of bringing to a gathering, but I'd hesitate to call that snobbery -- more like immersing myself in something I enjoy. I think it's a shame that not everyone knows how to cook, but when I say this (and talk about how easy it actually is) I'm speaking of the type of cooking you like to do, not the nitpicky detailsy stuff.

Also: Enchanted Broccoli Forest has a chapter on cooking for one, and mentions a whole bunch of dips one can make. I enjoy that approach... make several dishes at once, then mix and match as the mood strikes me for the next few days. I graze rather than eating large meals, so this may not work for everyone.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Do you mean making a recipe to feed six, and freezing five-sixths of it in individual chunks? That I can do. I get limited by freezer space. I'll eat rosemary chicken once and be happy not to have it again for six months.

I don't perceive you as foodier-than-thou -- figured I'd better make sure I wasn't being rude! Now that I think of it, there are things I'd be okay with bringing to most gatherings, too. The great thing about bringing stuff to a group is you can go ahead and cook for five. Someone might even take home any extra. There are recipes I don't ever do for myself. Lasagne, f'rex, and I lurve my lasagne. It's just that it feeds five twice.

I feel so guilty when I waste food.

I like the mix and match idea. May have to get myself a copy of E.B.F. finally.

[sebab.livejournal.com]

Definitely check it out a little first, either a friend's copy or online... I love it, as do many people, but some people's favorite cookbooks just don't work well for me, for whatever reason.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Good idea. I'm guessing (tongue in cheek here) that since I live in the Bay Area, I don't know anyone who doesn't have a copy.

[sebab.livejournal.com]

Hee!