Friday, March 29, 2013

Still Trying to Cook

In an attempt to improve my cooking skills and expand my diet from boxed soup, I decided to prepare stir fry for myself. I had made it at home before, and I remembered it being fairly simple and quite delicious! After a trip to the grocery store that almost cost me my arms because I was carrying so much home in my two little reusable bags, and a pep talk from my mom via FaceTime, I set out to cook a meal. I had purchased some meat that was already cut into bite size slices, broccoli, carrots, teriyaki sauce and Uncle Ben's 10 minute rice. I started by marinating the meat in the teriyaki sauce for about 45 minutes. Then I cooked it on the stove. It looked a little funny because of the teriyaki sauce... more grey than the white I am used to from chicken, but I continued by cooking the vegetables and starting the rice. I was most worried about the rice while it cooked, but everything seemed to turn out fine! I was very proud of myself! I took a picture of my meal and sent it to my mom and friends and turned on an episode of Tintin to watch while I ate. The broccoli and rice were delicious, and I was extremely excited to share with my roommates how much my cooking had improved! As I continued to eat I started to question the meat... it was a little bit hard and dry, and didn't have much flavor... and the coloring was still grey and didn't seem like chicken to me. I had a flashback to when Philippe told me that Belgians often eat horse meat and sprinted to the garbage can to look at the label on the packaging of the meat. It was in Dutch... of course! I started feeling nauseous immediately and thought back to all of the ponies I had throughout my life. Barney, Lizzy... quite possibly the devil, but I still wouldn't want to eat her, good old Star, my chunky little Arriba. No no no no this was awful. I thought I was for sure going to vomit. I started texting my mom on repeat like Sheldon knocks on Penny's door. Mom, mom, mom. I ate a horse. A HORSE! I am going to puke. Help. Do you speak Dutch. Vomit. Mom, MOM! Of course she didn't have her phone on her, so I gave up, threw away all the food I had prepared and drank a big glass of water. I sat on the couch feeling incredibly sick. When Philippe got home, I asked him what the label said because he speaks Dutch. He said that he wasn't sure, but that it probably wasn't horse. Everyone I asked said that it wasn't horse meat, but no one is for sure! I am convinced it was horse!! For a few days afterwards I had nothing but jelly beans and fruit to eat because I was terrified of cooking. I soon returned to making box soups which just seem to be the safest option for me.

Now I have eaten a bunny and a horse. Ahhhh the torture of being a carnivore.

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