1st Attempt=SUCCESS!!

This past weekend I went home for a family engagement. Since it was the first time that I had a full kitchen at my disposal, I decided that it would be a good time to get started with the cooking portion of my By Hand project. For this first attempt at cooking an organic meal for the context of this class project, I thought I would do something simple and that I have had some success with in the past. Therefore, I felt most comfortable cooking a vegetarian Pad Thai dish.

Here is the Ingredient List I found online for a vegetarian Pad Thai dish:
1 (12-ounce) pack dried rice stick noodles (sen lek)
6 eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons smashed garlic
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1/2 cup red bell peppers
1/2 cup green bell peppers
1/2 cup ground peanut
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons Thai pepper powder
1 cup fresh bean sprouts, for garnish
1/4 cup shelled peanuts, for garnish
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

Early on Saturday morning I was able to attend a local farmers' market in Dayton, Ohio and picked up some of the ingredients needed for my dish. These ingredients included the garlic, peppers, and cilantro. At the suggestion of my girlfriend, I also picked up some freshly made tofu to provide some extra texture to the dish. At my own discretion, I also added sauteed onions and carrots to the dish to create more color.

Overall, I was fairly happy with the outcome of my dish. This was the first time in over a year that I have applied myself in terms of cooking and crafting a complete dish. I look forward in the upcoming weeks to creating more meals for this project.