(You gain a level!)

I was planning to cook the beef mexicana described on page 97 of “The
Starving Students’ Cookbook”, but the supermarket was inexplicably out
of canned whole kernel corn. So I decided to experiment!

Beef stroganoff was on sale at PHP 185 / 100 g, so I got 180g of that.
I couldn’t remember the ingredients for stroganoff, though, but I
remembered that this cut could be used for stir-fry as well. I picked
up a few vegetables, too. One imported carrot, one green capsicum, and
a bundle of organically grown Baguio beans. Then I spent some ten
minutes on a futile search for that straight-to-wok sauce I saw on my
way into the supermarket. I settled for the small package of oyster
sauce instead.

Couldn’t find a guide recipe anywhere, so I made things up as I went
along, basing it somewhat on the recipe on the oyster sauce package.

Microwave rice, sorta (serves 2; just keep the rest for tomorrow)

– 1 cup uncooked rice (duh)
– 1 1/2 cup water

1. Pour the rice and water into a large microwaveable container. Try

to remember to let it stand for five minutes. I keep forgetting,
which is why the rice is somewhat dry.

2. Cover the container lightly (not sure if I should cover it tightly;

must experiment) and microwave on HIGH for 9 minutes.

3. Fluff with fork and let stand. I think. Well, I left it alone because

I was cooking the next dish…

Beef with Oyster Sauce (serves 1)

– 90g beef stroganoff, cut into small strips (smaller than the butcher’s cut, if you want)
– 22.5g oyster sauce (half of the 0.45g package)
– 1/2 green pepper (the large capsicum), chopped into small bits, seeds removed
– a bundle of Baguio beans chopped into small segments—a handful or two should be nice (I think these are string beans, not really sure)
– carrot slices, which I forgot to actually include
– 1 minced onion (or whatever’s left from last time)
– 1 or 2 crushed cloves of garlic
– 1 tablespoon of butter or some oil

1. Cook the onion and garlic in butter or oil until golden. Hah! I’ve

finally gotten the hang of that! It’s easier when there’s a lot of
butter, maybe because the butter makes it look yellow. (Duh.) No,
seriously, I think the heat gets spread more evenly.

2. Add the beef. Saute, or make a reasonable imitation of

sauteing by constantly mixing the food with a spatula that won’t
scratch your pan. Do this until the meat looks brown and reasonably
cooked.

3. Add everything else. Mix it to make sure everything gets coated

with the oyster sauce. The beef will darken in a rather satisfying
manner.

4. Continue cooking until you don’t feel nervous about the

vegetables any more. A minute or two should do the trick. Just make
sure everything is heated through, and hope that Baguio beans don’t
belong to one of those vegetable families that have to be cooked
for ten minutes in order to destroy their poison. (Red beans are
like that. Pfft.)

I actually bought enough ingredients for two sets, but did half first
in order to get one serving. Seemed okay. Still alive. Anyway, cooked
another serving and will have it for lunch tomorrow.

To people reading this blog: I’d really, really, really appreciate
getting warned if I’m undercooking or overcooking stuff, as I’m really
just making things up as I go along… ;)

In other news, I finally got a microwave egg dish and a water pitcher.
Whee! I _still_ don’t have a decent wok. The one at Rustan’s is
somewhat expensive. I’m thinking about asking for a wok for my 21st
birthday, but (a) I can just spring for one myself, and (b) that’s
kinda sad, don’t you think? Kathy (my middle sister) got a rather
intimidating set of professional knives when she turned 21, but that’s
because she really, really wanted them. She’s into cooking. _Really_
into cooking. I just dabble, really. Survival cooking. Experiments.

I need to fix my pan set. Some of my pans are too small and should
probably be taken home. I still want that large wok. I think I can
budget it in. I only need one wok, anyway. (Perils of having just one
electric stove…)

I also want more shelf space. I don’t think I can do anything about
that, though. Hey, wait! There’s that corner near the door. If I get a
cabinet, I can store stuff in it. Hmm. Not that I need to store much.
I know! I can store books and canned goods.

Hmm. I hardly use the toaster. Would it be a good idea to move the
microwave from the kitchen counter to the space the toaster currently
occupies? It’d be pretty convenient on top of the ref, and the move
would free up counter space for an additional electric stove. Not that
I need another one at this point, come to think of it. I’m fine mixing
microwave and stove. It’s kinda fun, even. It forces me to practice my
microwave skillz.

I wonder if this beef recipe can be turned into a microwave thing.

Oh, nearly forgot to say this: I love Baguio beans. And oyster sauce.
Not necessarily together, but they’re cool.

Must make an inventory of the stuff I have in the pantry so that I can
plan better…