Recipe-Book_My-Life

RECIPES FROM MY LIFE

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R ECI PE S F ROM M Y LI F E

SHANJIDA KIBRIA

RECIPES FROM MY LIFE

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CH ICK EN SPR I NG ROLL S

CHICKEN SPRING ROLL

A lot of my friends couldn’t handle spicy food. Luckily, these rolls aren’t spicy.

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Since I wasn’t a cook, I never really knew what I should bring to a potluck. To be frank, I was afraid to ask my mom to make anything because of how culturally different our cooking was from other people. I assumed people just wouldn’t like it. But, when I would buy supermarket food and bring that to a potluck, people wouldn’t even touch it. Honestly, I didn’t blame them. It tasted terrible. So, I continued to struggle with potlucks, until one day, I told my friend about my mom’s chicken spring rolls. Immediately he said he said he had to try them. So, we planned a picnic with our group of friends and I promised to bring my mom’s chicken spring rolls.

As soon my friends tried them, they fell in love. They said it had “the perfect balance of spice.” From that point on, those chicken spring rolls became my staple potluck food item.

Everywhere I brought them, people loved them. But, my mom struggled to find the time to make them for me every time. So, she decided to teach me how to make it myself. This was the first dish I ever learned to make from my mom. As soon as we started making it, I realized how easy it was. I was no cook, but this was definitely doable for someone with my skill set.

I even found the process of rolling them pretty relaxing. After I learned, I started making them completely on my own. The best part was that even if it was made a little differently, it always tasted amazing. That was the first time I felt like I could really cook, and I made my chicken spring rolls every chance I had.

RECIPES FROM MY LIFE

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Every opportunity they get, these guys make me bring my chicken rolls. It’s as if they like them more than me.

I decided to bring the chicken rolls to the potluck on the last day of my summer art course. They were a hit.

This photo was taken the day of the picnic. I think the smiles on their faces explains how much they loved the chicken rolls.

CHICKEN SPRING ROLL

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Ingredients: 10 spring roll wrappers 1 onion, finely sliced 1 cup chicken mince 1 tsp ginger garlic paste 2 spring onions, finely cut 2 carrots, finely chopped Prep: 20 minutes

1 cup cabbage, shredded 2 tbsp oil+ for frying 1 tsp salt to taste Âź tsp white pepper powder 1 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp cornflour/corn starch

Cook: 20 minutes

Total: 40 minutes

Instructions: 1.

Tip: Keeping the rolls under a damp cloth can help keep them warm.

Heat 2 tbsps oil in a non stick pan. Add onion and cook till translucent.

2. Add the ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute. Now add the chicken mince and fry well till the chicken is thoroughly cooked.

3. Mix in the spring onions, carrots, cabbage and salt and toss.

4. Add pepper powder and soy sauce and mix. Cook till the vegetables soften.

5. Take the pan off the heat and set aside to cool.

6. Heat sufficient oil in a kadai. Make a paste of cornflour with 2 tbsps water.

7. Place a portion of the stuffing on one side of each wrapper. Fold in the edges and roll tightly.

8. Apply cornflour paste to open end and seal. Keep the rolls under a damp cloth.

9. Gently slide into the hot oil and deep fry till golden and crisp. Serve hot.

RECIPES FROM MY LIFE

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SPIC Y CH EE SE R A M EN

SPICY CHEESE RAMEN

I didn’t actually start cooking this until I was eleven or twelve. New borns can’t really eat ramen.

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There’s a jingle from a commercial that has been engraved in my head for as long as I can remember. I think it was for the YMCA or some children’s related program.

I wouldn’t know how to type out the melody, but the lyrics of the jingle are “I’m too young to be old.” The day my younger brother was born, I had to be older and I was only about eight years old. Not only did I have to learn how to take care of myself, I had to learn to take care of him when my parents weren’t around. So, having to take care of the both of us, I had to learn to cook something. I chose to cook instant ramen.

We didn’t eat instant ramen often, but I quickly got sick of it. My mom would only buy the chicken flavor in bulk and I thought it was bland. So, one day, I decided to change it up. I looked around the kitchen for any additional ingredients I could add to it. When I got my hands on some hot sauce and some cheese, I was inspired. My brother and I tried it and we instantly fell in love with it. From that point on, that was the most frequent way we ate our ramen. I knew it wasn’t much, but it was a huge milestone for me.

This simple instant ramen became my signature dish.

I began to make it for m friends on days we were too lazy to go out. I learned how to make it better every time I made it.

But, the best part about this dish was that it was also something I shared with my brother that no one else in the family did. It was “our” thing and no one else could make the dish the same way I did. He only ever asked me, and I couldn’t have been more proud as his older sister.

RECIPES FROM MY LIFE

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Instant ramen isn’t the fanciest dish, so I only make it for the friends I’m most comfortable with.

My brother isn’t a huge fan of getting his photo taken. He’s already eleven, the same age I was when I started cooking for him.

I also have an older brother who steal some of our ramen every time we make it.

SPICY CHEESE RAMEN

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Ingredients: 1 2 1 3

(3 ounce) chicken flavored instant ramen package cups of water slice of american cheese tbsp of hot sauce

Prep: 2 minutes

Cook: 10 minutes

Total: 12 minutes

Instructions: Tip: If you like the length of your noodles to be short, crush or break the noodles inside the package before opening it.

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Heat at least two cups of water in a small saucepan until it comes to a boil and then dump the noodles in.

2. After at least 3 minutes of cooking, open seasoning packet and pour it into the saucepan with the noodles.

3. After an additional 3 minutes remove the ramen from the heat and drain the excess water leaving a little bit to keep cooking.

4. Return the saucepan to the stove top and pour all three tbsp of hotsauce into the saucepan while stirring.

5. Place the slice of cheese into the saucepan and continue to stir for another 2 minutes.

6. Pour the noodles into a bowl and enjoy.

RECIPES FROM MY LIFE

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CH EE SEC A K E BROW N I E S

CHEESECAKE BROWNIES

I still bake on my own every now and then, but it’s never been as fun as it was then.

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Some of my favorite memories are oddly enough from my years in middle school. My friends and I were an ambitious bunch. We always wanted to do things we weren’t sure we were capable of. Through that ambition, we created a tradition. We found something we really loved to do together, and we made it a habit to continue doing it because we wanted to get better at it. That thing we loved to do, was bake.

There were a lot of baked goods we made and I could probably recall a great memory for each of them, but there was one dessert that had always stuck with me after we made it because it was probably the best looking dessert we had ever made. That dessert, was cheesecake brownies. It was a dish that was simple enough to make with cheap ingredients and a box mix, but it looked like something I would buy in a bakery. At one point in the recipe, we had to use a knife and slice through the top layer to create a marble effect. It was a simple enough task, but I felt like I was creating this complex effect you often see in professionally baked goods. Those brownies came out so good we had to make it again.

We made those brownies a few more times before our baking tradition died out. One time, we tried to get creative and mixed milk into the batter. The milk made it taste even better, and I didn’t think it could get any better. I still keep in touch with my baking friends, but after we all went to high school, we no longer baked together. In fact, I haven’t baked those brownies again since then. But, I do know that those brownies will always be one of my greatest baking creations.

RECIPES FROM MY LIFE

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We wanted to see how crazy we could look eating a can of frosting.

This was the only photo I had of myself baking. I had just woke up if I remember correctly.

This was the first time we tackled baking a pie. I took the photo, so I didn’t make the group shot.

CHEESECAKE BROWNIES

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Ingredients: 1 (19.8 ounce) package 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese 1 egg â…“ cup white sugar Prep: 15 minutes

Cook: 20 minutes

Total: 45 minutes

Instructions: Tip: Aluminum foil can be used to keep food moist, cook it evenly, and make clean-up easier.

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Prepare the brownie mix as directed by manufacturer.

Preheat oven to temperature indicated on box. Grease a 9x13 inch pan.

Spread the brownie batter evenly into the prepared pan.

Using an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese, egg and sugar until smooth. Dollop the cream cheese mixture on top of the brownie batter. Swirl together using a knife or skewer.

Bake according to manufacturer’s instructions. Brownies will be done when a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Cool in the pan, then cut into bars and serve.

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