When Everything Seems Unimaginably Awful--Cook. Six Ideas.
By Erica and Karen
It is a pretty crazy, pretty overwhelming, time. Fear of everything. Uncertainty. Insufficient information. Lack of consistent leadership.
When we get overwhelmed, we turn to food, in the hopes that a good meal will bring back our mojo so we can get on our feet again and rejoin the fight. The good smells filling our kitchens while we cook also feel redemptive. Of course we like to invite friends over, which may be unwise, even if they sit six feet away, but hopefully family is OK.
We start with bread. Have you ever made no-knead bread? It is really easy, requires little active attention, is foolproof, and comes out looking amazing and tasting fantastic. You will get many compliments. You do need to plan ahead, but luckily you are a mature individual and good at that.
To go with the bread, we might roast a chicken. (Of course you need to get the bread out of the oven before you put the chicken in, another bit of planning.) We have been experimenting with gochujang--a spicy Korean sweet-hot sauce we really did not know until recently. This recipe for gochujang chicken and potatoes is pretty simple and very delicious. All you need to add is some sort of green. A cooling minty cucumber salad would be perfect. (NB—We never find olive oil to be overwhelming.)
We have also been experimenting with various types of beans and legumes now that we have been made aware that almost any kind of animal product contributes to climate change. (They are also good to have at home in a time of crisis.) You probably have heard of Rancho Gordo, bean advocates. The website has every bean you can imagine and many you could not—purple Ayocote Morado?—lots of other things (the deep wooden spoons are very useful) and some excellent recipes. Another fine, indeed sinful, bean and pasta recipe is from British cookbook author Jack Monroe—check out her interesting cookbook, Tin Can Cook. Think about a beet salad with that--unless you are one of those weird people who thinks beets can kill you, in which case maybe a pale radicchio salad. You need a little color with this dish.
Of course we drink while we slave over the hot stove. Zinfandel and Sauvingnon Blanc are favorites. And Karen just learned that Erica has never had a whole martini, so one day soon we’ll cook with a couple of those—made with Aviation gin and three olives—as soon as we find fabulous martini glasses. Just imagine what that meal will look like!
Then there’s dessert. There are still apples at the green market, so consider an apple tart. We slice the apples with a Cuisinart, which is lazy but makes really thin slices that bake beautifully. If that’s too healthy for you, then go for brownies. These or these. The richer the better. Is whipped cream too much? Not at all! In these troubled times we must not be afraid to make grand gestures.
After the meal, and a good sleep, everything will seem more manageable. It won’t really be, but you will be better able to deal with all of it. Especially if you got another family member to clean up.