Category Archives: Cooking

Apr6

Disorientation

Posted on by
Standard

Weekend from Thursday, 07-Aug-2025, through Saturday, 09-Aug-2025


When I started the MBA, we went to Orientation.

So, logically, now that the MBA is over, we should go to Disorientation, right?


I mean, I hadn’t considered the concept, but one of my classmates did, and planned a getaway, and invited everyone. And I’m definitely not someone to say no to the chance to get out of town and do some camping / escaping / enjoying the not-city.

So… Disorientation!



The plan was simple – I rented a car, we picked up a few of our friends, and we headed out toward Sligo on the Northwestern corner of the island. Our small group was aiming to arrive a day or so earlier than the rest – to set up and get oriented before we got disoriented with the whole group!

In the end, our planned group of 15+ turned into a small cadre of 7, give or take… a bit frustrating, to be sure, but it made for a really fun small-group adventure. We cooked, we walked around, and we went to a local traditional music night at a nearby pub. I lost my ring, I found my ring (after like 6 hours of searching), and much rejoicing occurred.

I even got to fly the drone a bit; both for my own enjoyment, and as a thank-you gift to the owner of the glamping spot we were staying in!

default
default
default
default
default
default
default
default
default
default
default
default
default
default
Oct21

Food through the start of the year

Posted on by
Standard

Spring, 2025 – Throughout the beginning of the year


I love cooking. Andrea loves cooking. Our classmates and friends love cooking.

And so, to the surprise of no one… we did a lot of cooking. Even as the MBA wore on, time grew short, and deadlines loomed high… we cooked. Here’s a few quick glimpses into some of the more photogenic dishes:

Banitsa! Andrea cooked this quite a few times, and even taught me how to cook it! It’s a Bulgarian dish, made with Filo dough, Bulgarian cheese, spinach, and scrambled eggs – all wrapped up, and baked in the oven. It’s amazing, and I’m continually astounded at how incredible it tastes.


Steak! I cooked steak quite a few times – even a prime rib one evening! I haven’t learned any new tricks, truth be told, but neither have I lost any of my edge on cooking an excellent meal. Seared, with veggies and bread on the side… it’s simple, but excellent.

One advancement I did make… I tried cooking Beef Wellington once! Now, granted, I did buy it pre-made… but hey. I was able to cook it right, so… that’s a partial win, right?


Vegan Bolognese! This is Andrea’s signature dish, alongside the banitsa, and ohh my god. I can’t wax poetic enough about how good this is, and how amazing the whole floor smells when it’s simmering.


Dinners out happened as well – some traditional American breakfasts, and even an evening out at a nearby Japanese restaurant. Fun, and a lovely chance to get out of the house and away from the various papers.


I made sliders! The old recipe that I adore from Boston, I’ve made this quite a few times – it’s simple and elegant, with just grilled burgers and a quail egg on top, but… mm. Simple is good.



I adore fried chicken, and Chicken Katsu is pretty close… so I was very happy to make a full meal of it with some stir fried veggies and bok-choi alongside. The rice… well, I don’t cook rice often, so thankfully I had some help with getting that part right.


Now, you can’t have busy university days without pasta. But… We don’t do boring pasta here. Combined with a nice sauce, maybe some asparagus or Soppressata or mushrooms… a burrata ball… It’s not so bad.


Last, but not least, we have my old-fashioned slow cooked recipe. Babyback ribs, mac and cheese, and some roasted root veggies… It had been a rough week, and I was feeling a bit homesick, so this was a perfect pick-me-up to restart the day. An American friend even joined me, which added that perfect extra bit of positivity into the evening.