Two easy dishes for thesis strugglers in the UK

It took me almost 2 months to realize that the rumour of British food reputation is true. I stayed and dined with a lovely British family in the first two months in Leeds, enjoying the yummy home-made food and cakes for quite a while. Until later I moved out, started to do regular shopping in the supermarkets (i.e. Morrisons, Hang Won Hong), and randomly ate out in restaurants (both western and eastern styles), I came to notice the very significance of being able to cook at home.

Fried chicken wings

Home cooking evokes a certain pleasure of creativity, artistry and most importantly, price quality (for an international student). Back in China, my knowledge within the kitchen area was limited to the use of pressure rice cooker and the chopping board. Most of the time I functioned as a pedestrian. The kitchen simply belongs to mum. And now living on my own has given me a chance to explore the possibilities of kitchenwares, raw materials and recipes from the Internet. So much joy and taste as I've gained from creative cooking in the past ten months, the recent two months of thesis crisis still has turned my cooking habit into only 'two' dishes: fried chicken wings and pancakes. The making of pancakes was quite tricky for me. I ruined 4 'pancakes' to get one with a shape in the first time of cooking.

My first immature pancake that has a shape

I have to admit it was is absolutely tragic to alternate between only two dishes 90% of the time. But concerning the relatively cheaper materials and easier preparations, I feel the need to record the steps of making for reference in the far future, since I'm going to stop cooking these stuffs for a break. Also, looking at these words and photos can also help recall the most intensive and sleepless time in my life (so far). >__<

Fried Chicken Wings (approx. 20 min.):

1. Slash both sides of the wings and place them in the boiling water for approximately 3 minutes, then set aside;

2. Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry some chopped ginger, then stir in the chicken wings;

3. Sprinkle some vinegar with little salt, stir and sprinkle some cooking wine;

4. Fry them over medium heat for 2 minutes, sprinkling with some dark soy sauce and stir until they look evenly coated;

5. Turn in some water, cover the pan and cook gently for 10 minutes;

6. Mix in a tablespoon of sugar, continue cooking until the sauce thickens; the end.

VERY Basic Pancake (approx. 15 min.):

1. Mix a cup of flour, 4 tablespoons of honey, 1/2 teaspoon of salt with a cup of milk, 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 eggs;

2. Gently heat a thin layer of oil on a small flat pan, slowly pour in the mixture (not too much) and tilt the pan to form a thin round layer;

3. Wait until the layer thickens and golden brown, turn the layer over by a flat frying spoon;

4. Wait until the side is also golden brown; the end.