Monday, August 3, 2009

From where did you come, green onions?

{Green Onion print by Stubborn Dog on Etsy.}

I cannot shop without a grocery list.
I cannot cook without making a weekly menu.
I cannot be a spontaneous cook, who throws together whatever's left in the fridge.

It's like I have a mental block against it. We went to the grocery store yesterday without making a list first and I felt like I hadn't studied for a test. I was all flailing, picking things up and putting them back down. On one aisle, I'd say, "Let's get stuff to make fried rice" and then two aisles later, I'd be like, "Oh...I don't know about that." I was a mess.
And then I got home and as I'm unpacking the groceries, I'm spotting items in the crisper that I bought last week and never used. Why did I buy them? What was their purpose? I had a knob of ginger and a bag of green onions. I remember buying them, and they had a destiny at the time. But whatever they were meant to go with was cooked without them and now I have no idea what my plan had been.

Which brings me to my point: What do you do in these situations? And more importantly, what should I be doing with those green onions?

This is something I haven't mastered yet. I get major cooking anxiety. I think I've proven I can follow a recipe. But whip something together? Um, no.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

Now you should make fried rice since you have fresh ginger and green onions to top it!

Chanelle said...

Yup I agree with Emily. Time for some fried rice and stir-fry.

I would mix some soy sauce or teriyaki sauce, frozen veggies, fresh ginger, and maybe cubed chicken or strips of beef in a wok. After everything is cooked, I would add chopped green onions and sesame seed.

Plus, here's a ginger tip: use a spoon to scrap off the flaky outside of your fresh ginger. It's tons easier than a vegetable peeler.

Super fast and not scary!

Amber said...

So what if I don't have a wok? Can i use any old skillet?

Unknown said...

You don't necessarily need a wok. Use a big skillet or other large pan and heat the oil until it is very, very hot.