A little more getting caught up on some of the early things I have been doing.
Moving was a gut wrenching process. Again, I won’t go into all the details and emotions, but there were a few things I didn’t want to give up. But choices were made and compromises were necessary. In a lot of cases the mindset had to become ‘they are just things’; ‘it can be replaced’. Ah, the segue.
As you have been reading along you are aware that I needed to replace some kitchen items and get myself set up to cook at home. Living modestly and in a new place means a change to some of the conveniences and things I was used to. Just a matter of adapting. Here is what I have for cooking - remember my Coleman camping stove description?
Not the end of the world, but for someone like me who loves to bake bread this will be a tough stretch to go without an oven. For perspective, I was eating 2-3 loaves of bread a week. So I decided to get something that would make sense on a few levels; and not so sensible on many others. It would be both convenient and inconvenient. It would replace a few things donated/sold; and bridge a gap for some things stored. On another level it would also put me on a path of some sort (there is a spiritual element to this purchase as well). So much for things being simple, eh? It’s kind of like a rug of some sort . . . it ties things together. I am making a contract with myself and the universe with this purchase. So this post is just as much me writing to myself as it is to you. Getting that energy moving the direction I want to go. Who knows, maybe you will be coming over to have a few meals.
Here it is. A simple cast iron ‘combo cooker’.
It’s heavy. It needs to be seasoned. You can’t cook everything in it. Can’t really saute in it. Can’t use it to do a lot of water based cooking. It will be really inconvenient if I decide to move around. It’s limiting in how and what I can cook. Not a smart purchase when you look at it from these perspectives. But it wasn’t about that.
As you can see from the above photos, it’s a fry pan, and a pot. So it gives me some versatility. It replaces my cast iron fry pan that I wanted to take with me. However, I recently discovered that pan went to a good home - someone who understands and appreciates a nicely seasoned cast iron pan. When you cook with cast iron you will know of what I speak. Additionally this combo cooker gives me a dutch oven (while my other ones sit in storage).
The heat retention with cast iron is amazing. And for cooking/frying the taste for some foods will be delicious. I think it will be quite amenable for cooking certain Mexican style dishes. Considering I will be using the gas burners it will be kind of like camping cooking - and who doesn’t like the foods made when camping? Another plus in the ‘pros’ list was affordability. It was great value considering this will last a lifetime (especially being on sale).
However, the main reason was about baking bread. I know, I know - I can’t bake bread without an oven. Yes and no. I can make some types of breads and bake a few things. But as I mentioned before, it’s was about putting myself on a path.
This purchase is my way of committing to getting back to baking bread. But the twist is I want to bake bread in an outdoor oven. You know, one of those outdoor wood-fired pizza/bread ovens? It’s been a lifelong dream. This combo cooker will be great for cooking in that type of setting - bread or otherwise. Which means eventually finding/buying a place that lets me cook/bake outdoors. The logical thing to do would be to wait for when I get an oven, or that outdoor set up I dream to have. You can’t imagine what it will be like the day I smell and taste that first loaf of bread made in my outdoor oven.
In the meantime I get a chance to do things like this -
Rustic, comfort food. Slow cooked food. I used the dutch oven approach when making the above meal. Looking forward to when I get back to making chilli. I am sure I will make some other amazing meals.
Cast iron will be pretty useful when making Mexican style meals. This was another fun one to do - Fajitas!
I am sure when I get some other cuts of meat I will be able to do things like shredding for tacos and pulled pork sandwiches. Learning how to prepare different style foods was one of the reasons for coming down here. Although I find what I do here is so similar to how I was eating back home. I did recently get some ingredients to experiment with making some breads, so that will be another element of exploration. Although sourcing flour comparable to what I used to use will not be quite so easy.
While I will experience some limitations, it will also encourage me to develop some skills and senses. It is kind of like how some things are here in Mexico - making the most with what little you have.
As someone who doesn't know how to cook worth a damn but enjoys watching cooking shows, I enjoyed this post quite a bit. The symbolism of this purchase is very apparent, a visual reminder that one day you will have that outdoor oven you desire so keep moving towards that goal. Also treating this as a challenge to learn to do things differently or approach things from a different angle is a very healthy mindset to have. Too many people I seen move abroad and the first thing they do is look for a McDonalds and a Starbucks...