Steak Salad...

After a nice relaxing visit home, I returned back to Hawaii to a gecko free and food-less apartment. I turned to my favorite and only cooking website The Pioneer Woman to look for new recipes. I found a new recipe, Big Steak Salad, and was dying to try it! I love steak salads!

I went to the grocery store and as I walking through the meat section looking for steak, I began to think about how far I had come from when I had first moved to Hawaii. Before I had moved to Hawaii, the only time I had been to the meat section was when I was following my parents or boyfriend through the grocery store. I never paid attention to what they were picking up. I had never touched a raw piece of chicken. I had never touched raw steak. I had never bought anything other than potatoes in the produce section. I had never seen half of the stuff that they sell in the produce section.

I remember when I first moved to Hawaii and my first experience at the grocery store by myself. I remember walking into the meat section and not having a clue of what to buy. Ground Beef, Ground Round, Ground Chuck. Why are there so many options? What is the difference in those anyway? I remember calling my dad and asking him what I should buy. However, even today, I can't ever remember what he told me once I get to the meat section, so I just buy whatever looks the most interesting. I just bought meat the other day and I honestly have no idea what I bought. Now that I think of it, maybe not that much as changed...

Anyways, back to my steak salad. I was excited because I was going to try to make everything myself from fresh ingredients. I was going to use fresh garlic, fresh ginger, make onion strings, and make candied walnuts. I had never bought a steak and didn't write down what kind of steak I was supposed to buy. I ended up buying a sirloin (I think) because that sounded familiar. I bought walnuts instead of pecans, because I thought the recipe said walnuts and pecans aren't my favorite (sorry grandpa).

I had never used fresh garlic or ginger, so I looked up how to cut them. However, my ginger never made it from the grocery store to my kitchen, thankfully I had a jar of ginger in my fridge. In recipes I always see use 'three garlic cloves' well I didn't know there was a difference in a garlic clove and garlic bulb. Thankfully, there is google that saved me from an extremely garlicky meal. I made my dressing/marinade and was ready for my meat. I sent this text to my parents:

"EEK this is scary..."

As I was cutting the fat off, I thought about how I would had never done this if I hadn't moved here. I felt like a grown up. As my steak was marinating, I decided to move onto the candied walnuts.

Candied Walnuts:

I had never 'candied' anything before. I had watched cake shows, so I new cooking sugar could burn you easily, but that's about it. I added the sugar and water to my pan and waited for it to become the 'almond' color it was supposed to be when it was ready. I waited and waited. It was just a clump of wet sugar in my pan. I decided to add more water and kick up the heat. That did the trick. As the sugar started melting, I was thinking about whoever invented non-stick pans is a genius. However, I had wished my spoon was non -stick. Do they make those? (If not, I am patenting it now, so all you readers don't steal my idea.) I kept stirring while enjoying my non-stick pan, but the 'almond' color wasn't happening. So... I turned up the heat more. My sugar started to turn a very light brown color and I was pleased with myself. Suddenly, the almond color came and went quickly. 

It happened within a matter of seconds. 

I went from a pastel brown, to smoke billowing from my pan with my dark/black sugar. I quickly took it off the stove to pour on my walnuts. However, more smoke just kept billowing from my pan. (Did I mention I do not have a vent or fan for my stove... another 'living in the dark ages' moment) I had a little sugar left in my pan and had no where to put it. I turned on my hot water for the sink and went to pour it down the drain. (I know if you are going to pour grease down the drain, you have to have the hot water running. Wouldn't you think that would be the same for hot sugar?) I made sure when pouring the sugar that it went straight to into the drain. Next thing I know, I heard a loud noise and smoke started rising from my drain. Water and sugar were flying everywhere. Oh crap... did I just make something explode? Can you break a sink? If you can, I think I just did. 

I didn't know what to do.. I turned around and realized I couldn't see the other side of my apartment from all the smoke in my apartment. Wafting the air as I walked to other side of my apartment, I turned on my portable van.. but where was the smoke going to go? I had my window open, but did I want to open my door? If I opened my door there was a chance a gecko could get in. Pandering the thought I decided to open my door, but watch it closely for geckos. I left the door open for maybe 2 minutes and decided I could deal with the smoke. By the way, it took about 3 hours for all the smoke to get out, but at least I don't have a gecko... I think. 

I cooked everything else without a hitch. I went to set my plate and it was time to add those dang candied walnuts. However, I missed the part in the directions where it said, "Make sure to spread the nuts around quickly before they set in the sugar." I went to my candied walnuts and it was just one big piece of candied walnuts that I couldn't get to.

The dreaded candied walnuts

I stabbed it with a knife a couple of times and I was able to chip off a few walnuts. You know what, I didn't like them. They tasted horrible probably because I burned the sugar and it got stuck in my teeth. Needless to say, I will never 'candy' anything again.

Past the candied walnut incident, the steak salad was great. 

Final product

My last words of advice... don't pour hot sugar down your sink...