I'm Back, With Bulgur

Hello, blogosphere! So...I haven't been the most faithful blogger of late, have I? This time, however, my excuse is a good one -- I got a job! A real, honest-to-goodness full-time employment with a local private school's summer camp. Meaning that, for the next two months, I'll be nine-to-five-ing it with the best of the work force. For a person who currently holds three additional part-time positions that don't produce nearly enough hours even between them, this is a huge step up in the world. Not only that, but I enjoy working with kids and my fellow staff members. I feel all grown-up again!

However, that also means that I have less time for other things. This includes coffee dates, cleaning, cooking, writing, and, of course, blogging. Sadly, my blogs (and Flickr account) have become sadly neglected. Right now, I'm on a week-long vacation in my birth state, New Jersey, so at least I'll be able to catch up somewhat. Expect more sporadic postings throuh mid-August once I return to the west, though.

I won't leave you empty-handed with the conclusion of this posting, plucky reader. A few weeks ago, I made a wonderful bento filler, spiced bulgur pilaf. Bulgur is a whole grain in the form of cracked wheat, which means it's super healthy and delicious to boot. With this recipe, I added the tang of the east to the natural woody taste of the bulgur.

Spiced Bulgur Pilaf

1 cup water
1/2 cup bulgur
1 T cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp tumeric
handful of raisins

Bring the water to a boil. Pour over the dry bulgur in a separate bowl. Add the raisins and half the cinnamon, without stirring. Cover immediately with a plate or some other tight seal. Let it stand for 20-30 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed.* Sitr to fluff the grains, then mix in the remaining spices.

*I ran into some trouble in this phase since I kept lifting the plate during the cooking process to check the bulgur, and thus released the heat, steam, and pressure. Be patient and leave the plate in place! If you can't, or the mixture gets too tepid, microwave the bowl for a minute or two and then continue to let stand, replacing the plate once you remove the bowl from the microwave. Patience is a virtue, or so I'm told.