Finding the Unfound (Part 2)

As I wrote an article about trying different things and finding hidden talents within, I found some cooking skills in me. 😊

Before this, I would like to narrate some of my cooking stories from the past.

I have very few memories of cooking for I grew up in a hostel where the meals were served in a shared kitchen. Only the time we would cook was during some weekends that we (mostly initiated by friends) would prepare food on our own just for the change of taste. I was always a lazy lad, and hence when we divide the cooking responsibilities, e.g. buying vegetables, cooking and washing dishes, I would always choose to do the dishes. I used to think cooking is complicated for it included more activities such as clean, peel, cut, cook properly, and so on. I preferred to stay waiting for the food to be ready and go to wash. 😊

On the contrary, I never got bored of washing dishes though. In a way, it was my responsibility, and I was obliged to do so. My friends were so kind that they sometimes would help me when they come to clean their hands. One of the reasons for me choosing not to cook was that our hostel rooms did not have washbasins and hence we had to go to the shared bathroom to get all preparations done. And I always felt that this was an extra hassle for me.

Furthermore, I had—and still have—the feeling that others might not like what I cooked. Although I used to observe how others cook, e.g. my friends cooking food and adding ingredients, I never gained a confidence that I would cook and others would like. Hence I never attempted. I also barely complained about what they cooked.

Some of my friends used to mock at me (but with no offense) because of me not knowing how to cook. For them, I was someone with zero cooking skills, for I always stepped back when the cooking topic came. I would mostly assist the main cook if I ever happened to be near them when they cook. On the other hand, it was not like that I never cooked. I did, but mostly only for myself; other times included heating cooked food or merely making instant noodles. Since I have never been so picky about food and taste, I liked whatever I made—only the problem was the feeling that others might not like.

To bring two, among many, of the incidents, I once struggled calculating tea leaves and sugar to make tea while I actively volunteered to offer tea to my brother a few years back which made him murmur unheard scolding to me.  I once tried making veg biriyani for myself, and it turned horrible—I never told this incident to anyone; my roommates, too, did not find out for I left no trace. 🤣 There were, however, a few other incidents where my cooking went well—but not within my friends' circle.

Now coming to the UK and staying at the university accommodation, it was inevitable for me to choose not to cook. I had to prepare at least three meals a day—I sometimes made only two to avoid wasting time cooking terrible food. It was also quite tricky to get familiarized to British brands while shopping for grocery. I have managed so far, though.

When the pandemic started putting the world at risk, and the lockdown started in March, there was nothing much to do than working on assignments and reading articles. I then started venturing some skills like drawing—although with no background. I also tried cooking differently from I usually would do. I am thankful to Google for this.

Below are some of the food I made and did not forget to take pictures—for these were my achievements and the moments to feel proud. ☺️

This pizza, somewhat impromptu, was made last month. I had no plans at all to make pizza; neither did I dare. I was trying to make baley kampo/karpo (traditional Tibetan bread which looks like kind of a Turkish bread or Pita). Because I miscalculated the amount of the flour, the dough turned out to be more than needed. When I looked at the leftover baleys, an instant feeling came to me that I should try turning it into a pizza. Hence, I gave a try later in the afternoon.

Of course, it was not a perfect kind of pizza that people would typically make and nor the ingredients were sufficient, but it gave me a sense of pleasure for having been able to try something new. I would love to try it again with a different approach given I get a perfect mood.  Frankly, I am not a pizza connoisseur hence have no idea on its varieties for I see them as baleys with fancy toppings and added brand name.

Ingredients I used to make the dough:

1.     Mixed milk, water, sugar, baking powder, wheat flour and kneaded

2.     Once the dough was ready, I applied some oil and kept aside for around 10 minutes

3.     I then made the dough into small pieces, applied some flour so it does not stick and rolled by my flask (yes, I used flask as a rolling pin, 😂) to make it round-shaped baley

4.     Put on a heated pan and flipped once one side turned brown

5.     Used the same method for other baleys too

Procedure I used to make pizza and the ingredients added were as followed:

1.     Chopped red pepper (capsicum), tomato, onion and meat in small pieces

2.     Cut cheese into thin slices

3.     Put all of them on top of the baley nicely with sliced cheese on top of them

4.     Put inside the oven for around 15-20 minutes (I cannot remember exact timing)

5.     Enjoyed the scrumptious DIY pizza 😊

Pizza, before and after it was completed.	This is the flask I used as a roller pin to flatten the dough and make round-shaped baley

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More food recipes are on their way to be published. Stay tuned. 😊