Cuisine in Klamath

I am constantly surrounded by two of the greatest things in life: delightful company and fantastic food.

I am a huge fan of food, quality, flavorful food. Eating it is wonderful, but creating it is even more satisfying. Upon getting married I made it a goal to cook up at least one new recipe a week. Sean and I both love to cook so we have both enjoyed contributing and consuming this culinary endeavor. In fact at this moment I have a coconut curry soup simmering in the crock pot, wafting it's savory scent through our 400 sq. feet of home.

I think I get an abnormal amount of satisfaction when I chop up veggies of different colors and see them lined up on the cutting board. The colors, the smells, the textures all working together to make something divine (well not always...but ideally). Its a wonderful experience and I find that it brings relief from a long day, gives joy to those around, provides an opportunity to

have friends over, and makes me feel more connected to my family. My family loves the food

experience. I find myself constantly thinking "what spice would Joseph (my brother) add to this? How would my mom arrange that on a platter? Would Jennie (my sister) can tomatoes or pickles (knowing her, probably both), and last but not least, "would my dad add bacon to this meal?"

It is a lovely thing to have those thoughts swirling around in my head; of course it makes me miss my family and love them all the more.

What fun it has been having our own little kitchen here! Not to mention it is a blast that both Sean and I love to cook together.

In addition to cooking from our residence, I now have the pleasure of cooking at a local coffee shop/cafe: Matteo's Coffee and Tea House. I love working there. It is a fun little place that is just starting to implement food onto their menu. I am working alongside a personal chef who is being contracted to get the food portion of the place running. She makes some fabulous food and is all about quality and flavor. I get to be a part of the creative process-so excellent!

Sean and I get up in the morning, take the bus together and I get off at the stop after his. I walk into work and I get to start making raspberry buttercream frosting for the french vanilla cake that is rising in the oven. Then I get to saute mushrooms, onions and garlic to compliment the ricotta cheese that will be placed in a fresh crepe topped with a light savory sauce. All the while I get to enjoy the company of Marcy, the chef, and my co-workers. We talk travel, dream up new recipes, dialogue about Jesus, and see hungry people leave the place happy.

I am very thankful for life. My best friend came to visit for the weekend, I am joyfully married, I get to be part of an incredible family, I have a job where I get to make people happy through quality food, and the rice for my curry just finished cooking.

*Best Friends posing for a classic fake laugh. Andrea Carlson, you're my soul sister.

The curry is delicious!

Here is the recipe-courtesy of "Art of the Slow Cooker" by Andrew Schloss

(I've altered it slightly)

-1.5 lbs chicken breast, cut into small cubes

-2 onions,diced

-1 carrot, cut into thin slices

-1/2 bell pepper, cut into chunks

-4 cloves garlic, minced

-1 T. ginger root, minced

-1 T. curry powder

-3 cups chicken broth

-1 t. salt

-2 stalks lemongrass, finely chopped

-1 can (~14oz) coconut milk

-2 T. peanut butter

-2 t. soy sauce

-1 t. light brown sugar

-Some fresh cilantro leaves

1. Heat a tad of oil in a large deep skillet and saute chicken until light brown (~5 minutes) then transfer to crock pot.

2. Saute onions, carrots, and bell pepper in the skillet until almost tender (~5 mins) Stir in ginger, curry powder. Add broth, sale and lemon grass then heat until boiling. Then pour into crock pot, cover, and cook for 3-5 hours on high, or 4-8 hours on low. ( I cooked mine for 3 on high and it was perfect!)

3. In a separate bowl mix coconut milk, peanut butter, soy sauce, and brown sugar. Pour mixture into cooked soup about 20 minutes before serving.

4. Serve over rice or noodles and top with fresh cilantro!