The Saddest Day...

My camera broke.  I don't know what happened..all I know is that the screen is gray and fuzzy and I can't view any of my pictures (I had sooo many good pictures!)

I know my social media friends will be pleased-- a lot of them were getting irritated with how many food pictures I was putting up!  I know, I know, it's very easy to get hungry and start with the cravings when you see someone else's pictures.  The worst is when somebody from out of state is posting up some delicious looking dish - the most recent example I can think of was this amazing huge platter of great looking sushi.

I have been using my phone camera, but since I am not an Android or iPhone user, it just goes to say that my pictures are not of very high quality.

So, I'm on the hunt.  But I'm terrible at researching and buying electronics.  I know I should look at reviews, but I'm all about convenience...and naivete.  I literally will believe anything these reviewers say!  Sigh.  I think I'm going to get Canon, though, since most of my close friends and family are recommending that brand.

Anyway.  My latest foodie adventures.  I finally tried the Bocado burger, which, I have been told repeatedly, is the best burger in Atlanta.  I had to try it, especially when people were saying it beat out Holeman and Finch's elusive burger (only 24 sold a night!).  It was good and very filling. I will have to admit, though, that I'm not much of a burger person -- unless it's served in between 2 patties made of rice and coming from Taiwan/Japan.  Just...yum.  For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about.....MOS Burger.  Welcome to enlightenment.

Also, I was very very excited today at the grocery store.  Why? Because they were selling figs!!! Buy one box get one free! Now, the price was still high, but for the amount of pure enjoyment I feel when eating figs, I definitely feel it's worth it.  I was worried that I had missed the fig season, since someone had told me it had started a month ago, and I know fig season is quite short.  But nope! I have two boxes of purple deliciousness sitting in my fridge.  I will probably only allow myself at most 2 per day in order to achieve maximum satisfaction :)

The Journey to Becoming a Foodie

I don't know whether or not I could call myself a foodie. I don't really know what the definition of a foodie is. What I do know is, I love food. I spend my free time looking up recipes (easy recipes, mind you) for food I love to eat and watching the Travel Channel and the Food Network - sidenote, I'm applying for jobs now, and I think I might have filled out at least 5 applications for Scripps Networks, the owner of those two channels.

Being in college and loving food can be difficult. I don't have the money to support my constant cravings for some noodles at my favorite Thai restaurant or any non-Rusan's sushi (that $1 sushi menu does NOT satisfy!....although, to be honest, I do love their $1 tempura.) Also, I don't always have the time to spend cooking what I want to eat, and cleaning the dishes afterwards.

We've all had to experience the college diet. I think the most extreme mine got was when I would buy the 15 pack Shin ramen...even then, I had the need to "gourmet" it up by adding bokchoy, egg, onion, green onion, and bean sprouts. I could never bring myself to do the Hamburger Helper diet like my sister did, and after having a stomachache after eating some spicy dirty rice from a box, I've pretty much avoided all boxed foods. Plus, reading Fast Food Nation and hearing about some of the Pink Slime stuff lately has pretty much scared me off of ground beef in general.

Why am I talking about all this? I guess I wanted to start off this blog to share some of my favorite meals - cooked or eaten out. I'm on Foodspotting, and I share my pictures on Facebook, but I wanted a space where I could really expand on more than just the picture. Plus, on the cooking side, I think I've really found ways to eat well and cheaply without spending too much time preparing/cooking/cleaning.

The first recipe I wanted to share is something I learned from my mother, and I had never gotten around to trying it myself until very recently. I love it. It's simple, easy, fast, and delicious. You also need to own a rice cooker (cooking things in a rice cooker besides rice is also something I've started exploring recently....and it's awesome!)

Rice-cooker Ginger and Scallion Chicken

Package of skinless/boneless chicken thighs
(my mom typically uses chicken legs, but I prefer the thighs, and it gets the same flavor, which is really the important part)

Sliced ginger

Sliced scallions

Salt

So usually your rice cooker will come with a metal shallow container to cook things other than rice. Mine came with holes on the bottom (which is one big reason I didn't try this dish sooner). If yours also has holes, cover the container in aluminum foil. Wash your thighs and cut them into good-sized portions. Place them in the container with the ginger and scallions. Sprinkle a good amount of salt on the chicken. Mix the chicken well with the ginger and scallions, and sprinkle salt one the other side of the chicken. Pour about three times the water you use to cook rice in the cooker. And then cook! Make sure to check if the chicken is completely cooked when the cooker is done - if not, add some more water to the bottom, and cook again.

The end product will have this delectable gingery chicken stock that is wonderful on top of rice. Truly a great dish, and only 4 ingredients! Very easy, and very little clean-up. Plus, if you're cooking for one, like me, this will last you for a while! Goes well with any leafy greens cooked up with garlic and salt.

Happy eating!