This is your brother Mattisyahu Schinn. It was nice to get a little email from you. You are missed. Both Laura and I miss you very much.
As you requested, here is an update on my life. It has been full of experiments.
Experiment #1.
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Have you ever had a mango sticky rice dessert at a Thai restaurant? I decided make it a shake. A mango rice shake! I thought it was a brilliant twist. I got some fresh mango and rice and put it through our food processor. Then I blended it with milk and coconut milk. It turned out OK. Lots of things were slightly off because it was my first time winging it.
The biggest thing was the texture. The blended rice still gave it a slightly chunky texture. Next time I'm going to let the rice sit in coconut milk in the fridge, so it gets really nice and soft.
Experiment #2.
Well, Laura had made some eggplant parmagian (which was a great experiment in its own right!), and I got some black soy bean paste (짜장) from Christine. I refried the egg plant with the jjajang, and it tasted quite good. The crispy thin layer of parmaggiano cheese worked surprisingly well with the paste. Laura didn't like it though; she doesn't like greasy frying business. I'd make it again, but would try to make it less greasy.
Experiment #3.
Remember those grapes you and Jessica loved? Well I read somewhere that a common mistake people make when cooking is that they leave the sour taste out. Lots of times when you think you need more salt, you actually need more acid - balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, whatever. So I decide to make a tart garden grape vinaigrette for a nice spinach salad.
It was OK. Like a 'meh'. Or a 'bleh'. Too tart, too strong. I don't know what I can do here. It might have worked better with normal grapes. I keep looking for opportunities to use them instead of vinegar though. Haha.
Experiment #4.
Had another great idea: a Mexican chocolate cake. You know how those Aztecs drank cocoa with chili (they called it cacahoaquahuitl; they were so bad-a)? I decided to make a cake like that - sweet and spicy - something more interesting than just a sugar dump. Well, it didn't turn out how I wanted it to. But I was still proud. I pretty much winged the whole thing, not following really a recipe, and it came out edible, even enjoyable with whipped cream. The chili peppers I crushed were nowhere to be found. I don't know if putting more peppers is a solution though, so I will have to research and experiment. I will keep you posted.
Experimenting is great fun. It's like exploring your little uncharted territory. Both Laura and I are exploring, and it has taken us out of our comfort zones. Laura has recently started her job at the state prison. She works with sex offenders, and it has taken some emotional toll on her. She has been very resilient though, and she is taking the challenge head on.
I am starting my PhD program this week. I have been reading up a ton about the pharmaceutical industry and the job market, as well as potential research areas. I have to make a decision with which professor I will work with for the next five years. It has been stressful and rewarding. It's great to venture into a new world.
That is exactly what you are doing, right? Congratulations on your first week in the field. I remember the first lesson I taught. It was like a chicken with its head cut off, only on a roller coaster. I hope you have a lot of fun - I did. Love your trainer and be easy on him - it's pretty tricky to train another missionary. I didn't appreciate mine as much when I was a greenie, haha. I'm sure you are doing great - befriending people, loving them and bringing the Spirit wherever you go. Tell me all about it.
Your brother,
Mattisyahu
