My first step toward chef mastery! For dinner tonight I cooked Chinese Stir Fry; I liked the idea of my first cooking experience having to do with Chinese food. I must say that it is a favorite of mine. So I started with bell peppers, onions, ginger, and Yaki Soba noodles.
First, I chopped up the onions, bell peppers, and ginger. I added sesame seed and olive oil into the pan. Then I added the chopped ingredients into the pan and sauteed them for a few minutes. It was hard making sure that the ingredients didn't burn. It was also difficult to tell when they were soft enough. Next, I added the Yaki Soba noodles. While I was taking them out of the package, my father told me to "Massage them. Love them... like they are going to love your stomach later." That way, the noodles would be separated before I put them in the pan. This might have been my favorite part of cooking tonight.
After adding the noodles, the cooking process became a little scarier. The steam after adding water to the pan scared me: I wasn't used to such a reaction. Plus, my lack of coordination didn't help when I stirred the noodles. Throughout the process there were numerous noodles that escaped onto the stove top with my not so great stirring skills. Also, my lack of experience did not help with the timing of how long the noodles needed to few minutes, the noodles were ready.
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| My finished product! It was quite good, but then again, my standards for food are not quite gourmet. I don't have much of a developed pallet, but I think I did great for my first try. Some things I hope to work on are my technique and gathering experience to judge the readiness of the food in a certain amount of time. I'm excited, and ready to learn recipes and become a better cook. I can't wait 'till I can just whip out some great food for my friends and family to enjoy. |
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Special thanks to my Dad for giving me step-by-step instructions. I know it was difficult for you to watch me mess up and not take over. Thanks for your patience.
