On Creating

So living for two and a half years in Korea has stunted my culinary skills. Not that I had much prowess to begin with.... Cooking was much more of my sister's thing. Still, I enjoy creating things in the kitchen and the like, even though my kitchen is teeny weeny. I currently reside in what is known as an officetel.
As you can see from the link, the kitchen is über small. And this is when I first moved in--I have stuff now. Lots of stuff. And while I have grown to really enjoy living in such a small, yet incredibly functional space, being able to only use two burners kinda sucks, or at least puts a limitation upon what I can do. Also you'll notice there wasn't an oven in those pictures. I have since procured a toaster oven and a microwave, but trying to use those in the summer just heats up the entire flat and its just too hot.

So around the first of July, I went to the foreign markets because I was craving some feta cheese. When I lived in Chicago, every night there was feta on the salad--even if it weren't a Greek salad, there it was. I was soooo tired of it and longed for something else. Now feta is all I want. Oh life, how funny you are.
While I was out I actually found some Kalamata olives and some Greek yogurt. I haven't had Greek yogurt in two and a half years.

Plain yogurt in Korea is like vanilla flavored yogurt back home. It is all way too sweet and nothing is as thick as Greek yogurt. My Yia Yis used to make her own yogurt, but I never bothered to ask her how she did it. Anyway. I was ELATED about finding Greek yogurt. I even posted a picture of it on facebook in my excitement. Yes. A Picture. Most people post pictures of their children, their loved ones, their pets...me? Greek yogurt I find in the foreign market.

Anyway. Because I found the yogurt, I was reminded of one of my most favorite recipes from my childhood. Chicken with yogurt. I know it sounds strange--but trust me, it's delicious. I gathered most of the ingredients that I could find (had to get a can of chicken broth, some cayenne pepper, and some chives). Only I couldn't find the chives. ANYWHERE.

So last night I ran to the local mart to grab some green onions because I heard that they could be used as a substitute for chives and ended up getting a bunch of veggies to sauté. But first...first...the chicken with yogurt.

I didn't have the recipe sitting in front of me, so I had to go by my memory of when I last made it, which was over three years ago. And it actually came out to be pretty good. ^^ I was worried for a bit but once I got it on my plate, it tasted just right--at least how it always did.
As it cooled, I began sautéing my veggies (yellow and red bell peppers, button mushroom tops, onions, garlic, and zucchini) and it was glorious. I was happy to be creating something within my cramped kitchen.

Here is a picture of the chicken with yogurt:

And the sautéd veggies:

So I guess having a small kitchen really has nothing to do with what I can create. I have always had everything I've always needed. I was just blinded by a simple notion that what I had wasn't enough. And trust me, I have enough. I am enough.
And the same is for you.


Love and Light,

c