Got my Greens, my Grains, my Beans, and my Brains baked salmon.
Some of them.
Not Steve.
I'm trying to clean up my diet a little bit so that when I get there, I don't detox too hard and fast. I want to bring my A-game and be the best volunteer ever! I have a feeling that it will be a lot to learn, both in terms of cooking and also culturally. I have a big personality and even bigger hair, and I know that that's uh... not exactly the macro culture. I love glitter and rhinestones and interior design and Dolly Parton and third-wave feminism, so it's going to be an interesting ride.
I feel like this is a lot like going to Scotland. I lived in Scotland in college for about six months, and it was TOTALLY a curve-ball decision for me... everybody thought I was going to Japan. I thought I was going to Japan. Apparently not, according to Mel Gibson.
I was so nervous to go, and the first night, I cried for about three hours thinking I had made a horrible mistake. It didn't help that the lights didn't work, the internet didn't work, my phone didn't work, and it got dark at 2 PM. When you're sitting alone in a sleeping bag, it's pitch black, and your dorms were erected on the site of the largest communal witch burning in world history, it feels like a message.
It ended up being the most powerful, meaningful big decision I've ever made. It redirected the course of my life. I made some amazing friends, saw places I'll remember forever, and was in the right place at the right time.
I hope this is one of those instances. I hope this is one of those "right place, right time" kind of things. If I could throw out a couple of prayer requests, I would really appreciate it if you guys would pray for me. If you could pray that God preserve my health in the winter months (when I usually get sick), that I have a welcoming heart to everyone I meet at this internship, and that I have open eyes to perceive the blessings God is introducing into my life.
Now for the grub.
(Pictured above)
GREENS, WINTERIZED
Collard Greens
2 tbsp. grated ginger root, squeezed.
1-2 tbsp. gluten-free tamari
1 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. sesame oil
Fresh mushrooms (these are shiitake), sliced into strips
Fresh onions and garlic cloves to taste, minced
Mix your liquids into a sauce (not the oil). Heat sesame oil at the bottom of a big pot, then toss in your garlic. Saute 1 minute at med-high heat, then add your onions. I like to cook these 3 minutes, so they're nice and toasty and brown.
Add your mushrooms. Swish them around about 5 minutes, until they begin to release their delicious, mushroomy juice. Add greens, then add your sauce. Stir until all the green start to wilt, then cover and cook for five minutes. Don't forget about it. I did. I burned it. Stir periodically. When the greens are dark green, you're done!
HOW NOT TO MAKE AZUKI BEANS
When you soak them overnight, do not forget about them and soak them for two days.
If you do this, rinse and drain them, then cover them and put them in the fridge, and cook them ASAP.
When you cook them, be sure you read the directions and put exactly the right amount of water in. Don't eyeball it and add six cups for one cup of beans. This only ends in sadness.
If you've been soaking them for two days, do not cook them for two hours. They will no longer be categorized as "beans." They may not even be categorized as biological, plant-based material. They become a mineral. Or possibly an element.
Season them with a splash of tamari. Do not season them with anything else. Do not listen to the anime character on the side of the bag who says " 早く！砂糖を加える！”
Do not microwave them for breakfast the next morning because you can't be bothered to use a skillet like a civilized person.
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