So I'm going to warn you upfront: today's post isn't some incredibly insightful discovery about Egyptian culture or anything like that. I had a remarkably uneventful day that consisted primarily of finishing the last bit of unpacking, organizing my room, and going grocery shopping in a more thorough manner. So if you're expecting something more than that, stop reading now.
If you're still here, you get to hear even more about groceries. This time I had a plan and was able to make a more efficient round throughout the grocery store. By the time I left the store I was probably carrying 10+ bags and my arms were sagging. An observant Egyptian man called out after me in English saying, "Those bags are too heavy for you, your arms aren't strong." At which point I thought to myself, "Thanks a bunch, I hadn't noticed." Luckily, taxis are EVERYWHERE in Egypt and it took about 45 seconds and one look at my bulging arms for a taxi to pull over. A 5 LE ride later (about the equivalent of 1 USD) I was at my apartment and ready to cook. I was actually quite proud of myself for my foresight: I got a big bag of chicken breasts that were on sale and divided them up into portions. I mixed up a few different marinades - one a garlicky lemon-rosemary marinade and the other a tangy red wine vinegar-mustard-worcestershire marinade and put them in ziplock bags with 2 chicken breasts each. I then popped them in the freezer. Now, whenever I want chicken for dinner I just pull them out of the freezer and into the fridge; the chicken will marinate while it thaws :D With the remaining chicken I decided to do a Moroccan inspired dish (I know, I know, I'm in Egypt). BUT I really wanted to use my fig spread and I have so many spices that it just seemed perfect. The oven didn't have numbers or any discerning labels for temperature, just a dial with a little slash on it. I made do and roasted my chicken for about 2 hours resulting in a thick and spicy chicken dish (: I know this is turning into a food blog but I just can't help myself. Food is life.
If you're still here, you get to hear even more about groceries. This time I had a plan and was able to make a more efficient round throughout the grocery store. By the time I left the store I was probably carrying 10+ bags and my arms were sagging. An observant Egyptian man called out after me in English saying, "Those bags are too heavy for you, your arms aren't strong." At which point I thought to myself, "Thanks a bunch, I hadn't noticed." Luckily, taxis are EVERYWHERE in Egypt and it took about 45 seconds and one look at my bulging arms for a taxi to pull over. A 5 LE ride later (about the equivalent of 1 USD) I was at my apartment and ready to cook. I was actually quite proud of myself for my foresight: I got a big bag of chicken breasts that were on sale and divided them up into portions. I mixed up a few different marinades - one a garlicky lemon-rosemary marinade and the other a tangy red wine vinegar-mustard-worcestershire marinade and put them in ziplock bags with 2 chicken breasts each. I then popped them in the freezer. Now, whenever I want chicken for dinner I just pull them out of the freezer and into the fridge; the chicken will marinate while it thaws :D With the remaining chicken I decided to do a Moroccan inspired dish (I know, I know, I'm in Egypt). BUT I really wanted to use my fig spread and I have so many spices that it just seemed perfect. The oven didn't have numbers or any discerning labels for temperature, just a dial with a little slash on it. I made do and roasted my chicken for about 2 hours resulting in a thick and spicy chicken dish (: I know this is turning into a food blog but I just can't help myself. Food is life.
