Act II - We meet Fyn

Who is Fyn, this second player in Voramancy's trio? Let's have a look around and see, shall we?

Enter the kitchen.


Note the ample counter space, starting from the quasi-island dotted with garlic and fragrant summer fruit to the area against the wall where some of my basics - salt, sugar, rice cooker - lie. This space, my friend, is where I am most comfortable. This rectangular space provides me with more than enough room to entertain while its compactness allows me to take only a few steps here and there in order to access all of my cookware, utensils, and ingredients. I am never far from my kitchen. Whether at home alone or entertaining a dozen or so guests, I am most likely to be found here.

The fruit and garlic on the counter belie some of my food interests, or more specifically, food profile. Freshness, flavor, and homemade sums it right up. I mean, if you just took one look at those apricots lying on the counter, you'd understand. The soft blush along its roundness, the velvety-soft skin hiding plush flesh...oh, but I digress. Ahem.

My thoughts never stray far from food. I am always thinking about my
next meal, or two meals ahead. I will eat any and everything, or at least give it a try. I am an equal opportunist. I search for food that my tastebuds cannot quite tolerate and then I work to teach them differently. Olives are a case in point. I don't quite get it, but I will try. Perhaps you will help me understand their briny meatiness.

I am not a baker. I will roast, steam, fry, sautee, grill - you name the cooking method and I'm right there with you. Baking, on the other hand, remains an enigma to me. I leave the baking to Cerulean. Every once in a while, though, bravery - or bravado - overtakes me, and I attempt to overcome my battle with flour and batter, usually with hilarious consequences.

Before I head out, please meet two favorite items in my domain. First off, we find 6 3/4 by 3 inches of stainless steel - a Chinese cleaver. This baby can slice tomatoes, shred basil, smash and mince garlic, chop through meat and bone. Oh, while I now long for the lightness and dexterity of an 8 inch chef's knife, this sturdy, powerful knife has gotten the job done for years.

Let me also introduce you to my wok. This scaled-down version is perfect for a household of two people. It's dexterous - it stir-fries, it pan-fries, it deep-fries, it steams! I've even heard of people "roasting" chickens in this thing as their poultery lies blissfully under 5 pounds of salt. Mmm, I need to get on that! Yes, you can see that I have not treated my friend well. The scrapes and nicks only emphasize its underseasoning, but it also does give me a great excuse to do some deep-frying to remedy the situation!

Besides writing this post with some of my bestest friends in the world, I hope that this blog will force me to try recipes, dishes, and foods that I might not have if I weren't pushing myself to step outside the boundaries. These boundaries have gotten mighty comfortable and I think it may be time to get a little antsy here. Now you'll have to excuse me, because for some reason, I'm in the mood for some blueberry pie.