The weather turned unseasonably warm and dry, although it’s chilly in the morning and evening. We need the rain, and actually, I’m a precipitation convert. I like it now that I’m retired and can stay home and be cozy.
Politics is maddening and depressing, so I’m trying to ignore it and focus on simple pleasures. Mostly food, with exercise thrown in, because, you know, the food …
Exercise
My favorite golf course is much more enjoyable when it’s dry, so I’m playing all I can before we get another downpour. I always walk … a good five miles. I’m amazed by the number of able-bodied people who take a cart on a walkable course. The same people who wait 15 minutes for a parking space closer to the store.
The swimming pool at my fitness club is lovely, although I witnessed an altercation there this week. I was quietly swimming laps, imagining I was in the Caribbean, when I heard a ruckus. I stopped mid-lane to discover the lady next to me yelling at the guy one lane over. The woman does not swim but runs and hops around in the pool to music.
Apparently, she didn’t like where the guy was about to start swimming. He had his own lane, but I guess it was too close for comfort. He suggested they switch lanes to give her more room, and she suggested he go to the other side of the pool (or somewhere else). I stayed out of it, returning to the bliss of the Caribbean. Good grief, people. Chill out.
When I finished my swim, it appeared neither compromised in any form or fashion, so then I began to wonder if they were married. Ha, ha.
Food
The warmer weather somewhat foils my winter cooking plans. Still on my agenda are stuffed cabbage rolls and a casserole made with layers of sauerkraut, rice, ground pork, smoked sausage, bacon and sour cream. I know. A weird artery killer, but dag, it’s good.
The New York Times charges extra (beyond the basic subscription level) to access most of its food section, but this feature on one-pot wonders seems freely accessible. I print internet recipes and put them in a three-ring binder. Easier than a scrapbook.
Although I’ll need more rain or at least a cold snap to make this recipe, Dijon and Cognac Beef Stew looks spectacular. I love this quote from the recipe’s author:
“Whoever said cooking should be entered into with abandon or not at all had it wrong. Going into it when you have no hope is sometimes just what you need to get to a better place. Long before there were antidepressants, there was stew.”
Regina Schrambling
I finally made cinnamon hand pies from “When Pies Fly” by Cathy Barrow. While I’ve tried crust recipes from Martha Stewart, Rose Levy Beranbaum and the rest, I never mastered all-butter crust until I did it Cathy’s way. Everything is cold, and you use the food processor, but it doesn’t come together in a clump. You squish the dough together afterward in plastic wrap, roll it into a block and then refrigerate overnight.
Super yummy! Of course, I made that all-butter crust, but I think it would be easy to use any crust, including store-bought, and a simple filling of brown sugar, a bit of flour, cinnamon and nutmeg to taste. Add just enough melted butter to make a crumble and use a cookie scoop to fill the pie before pressing down the edges of the crust with a fork. Vent the top. I baked mine at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes.
As the weather seems to be transitioning, kind of cold but kind of not, Dale figured out how to make the best of both worlds. A hearty Chile Verde and homemade flour tortillas for a chilly night … but … with some outdoor prep time in the sun when the temps were in the 60s!
Compromise. Just another pro tip for relationships and cooking.
Did you make that yummy looking dessert at the top of your blog?
Yes, those are the cinnamon hand pies! We had them for breakfast. I’ll start adding captions to the photos.
That pie looks delicious! I wonder if it could handle some chopped up apple too?
Deb
That’s a great idea! Not too much or it could get sloppy.
Just finished a 3.5 mile walk to the library in the glorious sunshine. Didn’t find any of the three authors you mentioned that I hadn’t read, but our branch is pretty small. Walking and reading are great stress relievers for me as is line dancing. We’ve taken to watching reruns of the Great British Baking Show instead of the news. We find them soothing and who doesn’t want to look at a celebration cake or a cream filled choux pastry or watch them whisk a creme patisserie?
Walking to the library is one of my favorite things! Ours is pretty close, so it’s not a very long walk, but I love it anyway. It’s also small, so I request books and pick them up when I get a notice.
We watch a lot of Food Network. My sister is a big fan of the Great British Baking Show, and I enjoyed the episodes I watched with her. I love the names of those pastries. So different! I forget who is famous for the quote about Americans and Brits being two peoples separated by a common language.
Oh, Donna, you’re speaking my language. Food and the great outdoors are my panacea.
“There are things you do because they feel right & they may make no sense & they may make no money & it may be the real reason we are here: to love each other & to eat each other’s cooking & say it was good.” – ‘Real Reason’ by Brian Andreas
“Food is never just food. It’s also a way of getting at something else: who we are, who we have been and who we want to be.” from the blog, Orangette
Mona — you’ve inspired me to start saving food quotes. I guess for the blog, but maybe just because?
Should we assume the two people yelling at each other were of different political parties and disagreed on the proper way to use a pool? Obviously, compromise isn’t part of many people’s world right now. Should a gym be any different? Sigh.
Maybe one of them wanted a wall! Seriously, you are so right about compromise. Civility has left the building. Thanks for visiting, Bob!