Welcoming Back

Dalam rangka menghidupkan kembali bombealaska yang sudah usang dan tidak terurus, hari ini saya ingin memasak dan berbagi sesuatu yang mengingatkan saya ke rumah. Post ini saya dedikasikan untuk roommate saya, Marchelita Dewi, yang senantiasa rela dijadikan korban eksperimen masakan saya tiap malam. 

I have just recently moved to a newer (and better) apartment unit with my roommate. It's a one-bedroom apartment, with a living room and a bath room. Although it's just been three days of life here, I can already feel the sense of attachment to the apartment. May be you'd ask, how could -- it's only three days! The answer is simple: I now have a kitchen in my apartment! 

It's just really heartwarming to finally have a kitchen in my own apartment now, as this means I can keep doing the one activity I cherish the most -- cooking! Since cooking becomes convenient now, and that I have full control of the ingredients I wish to buy -- not like at home where mom has full authority -- I can be more adventurous with my ingredients and food! I can and I will share what I cook (dan supaya tidak lupa haha) to this blog. I am glad that I can finally relive this blog -- with food content :)

Today, I cooked something that reminds me of what I usually cook at home. I told my roommate that I wanted to cook mushroom and spinach pasta, and it just happened that she wanted something similar for dinner. We then headed to the groceries to buy the required ingredients, and continued with the cooking as soon as we arrived home. 

Herby pasta with mushroom, smoked beef, and spinach 

Ingredients:

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

half an onion, finely chopped

2 large champagne mushrooms, chopped

2 strips of smoked beef, diced - 1cm cubes

handful of spinach

olive oil

milk - full cream, about a cup

dried oregano

dried basil

mozarella cheese

150g wholewheat spaghetti

Instructions:

1. Get your ingredients ready -- chop everything, measure everything.

2. Boil your spaghetti until al dente.

3. Heat olive oil in a pan. When the oil is hot, put in your garlic and onion. Sauteé until they are translucent and fragrant. Then, put in your smoked beef and cook for 4-5 minutes. At this point, you can add olive oil if the pan gets a bit dry. Add in your mushrooms and cook until they lost their colour.

4. Pour in your milk to the pan, and cook for 3 minutes until they change their colour a bit. Add your herbs, and be generous! It won't hurt! Season the sauce with salt and pepper. Grate your mozarella cheese to taste for flavour and to thicken the sauce. Cook for 3-4 more minutes. 

5. Put in your pasta and spinach to the pan. Mix well. Cook for 1-2 minutes until everything incorporates.

6. Serve your pasta. Then enjoy! 

I have come to understand that my definition of being happy is to simply cook for my own and for my loved ones every single day. I am delighted to say that, for (already) three days in a row, I have done just that.