So what to do when:
- You already keep your body engaged by exercise every day
- You already keep your mind engaged by studying foreign language and relations
- Going outside in armored vehicle gets old because although you blend well with the locals, the armor gave you away
- Local food had given you twice the worst fever-chills-butt-pee despite having iron stomach
- Your colleagues dumped their leftover to you, knowing you have been the refrigerator "cleaner" who don't let anything go to waste
....and you still have plenty leftover time?
Well, one learns to cook, and cook, and cook some more. I gave up my PRS platform, range finder, pistol, armorer kit and ammo for wisk, spatula, oven, and pan. Far be it to me to claim as anything remotely close to a chef, but I'd say a chemical engineer can apply simple heat exchange and fluid dynamics concepts to turn various ingredients to solid delicacies
- Vanilla coconut ice cream with toasted coconut shreds and pecan and dark/white choc drizzle and caramel font
- Praline coconut popcorn in caramel nest
- Hainan chicken
- Almond/coconut whole wheat crepe with nutella-walnut and creamcheese-strawberry fillings
- Well done and medium rare tenderloin (had to use the dumb proof searing then oven in foil)
- usw
The desserts alone are well worth it in an estrogen rich environment
, where I had to "win hearts" and get plenty free-pass/forgiveness card. The meat (and beer/wine/liquor) are great to build rapport. The leftovers (quinoa, chia seeds, brown rice, gluten free stuff) from the health fanatic are great to ensure I live to 100
