A Rusty Chef at Work

What would one do after a lengthy and exhausting exam period?

It usually fell into four categories: rest, hobby, good food and travel.

The closure of in-house restaurant during holiday has put me in unusual condition where necessity coincides with choice.

From the four categories above, the first three include food for me and one of the reason to travel is to taste different culinary delight.

I like good food and enjoy cooking, even required some reputation for my gastronomic skill in Amsterdam. (my other hobbies are reading and deep discussion, but that is for another post). What started as obligation since it simply too expensive to dine out in Amsterdam (even in university canteen) becoming a good (and rather delicious) past time activity during my two year stay.

But after 4 month of idle, only cooking once in Indonesia and twice in Italy, I am wondering how rusty I am. Keep in mind that those twice occurred since at the first two weeks, the in-house restaurant was close on Sunday. After the policy change, cooking is a good memory but not to relive again.

Until today.

As a seafood aficionado my mind is set on spaghetti marinara. So I went out to shop for frutta de la mare (literally means fruit of sea, mix of shrimp, squid, mussel, oyster and clamp) and spaghetti. The pasta sauce chosen was podomoro e basilica (tomato and basilicum) as well as some vegetable. There were also mushroom on sale (1.9 euro for 500 g) so I bought it as well.

First, cut the mushroom into slices and defrost the frutta de la mare

Second, roast some garlic and onion on olive oil for about five minutes. Italian love olive oil and put it into everything (and so should more people since it is one of few food to be mention in Quran)

Third, put the pasta and vegetables in boiling water with salt (to take away the store taste)

Fourth, heat frutta de la mare in existing garlic+onion and mix with the pasta sauce

Fifth, take out everything and arrange in proper setting

The result is spaghetti marinara ala funghi (seafood spagheti with mushroom)

It taste quite well as it look good. Glad to know that I still have it in me. Tomorrow maybe I will get adventurous and mix spinach and tuna.