My seasonal allergies kicked in this week, resulting in post-nasal drip and a little cough, cough, and pretty soon you think, oh shit, this is it. However, I stayed inside for a day, drank a lot of water and my sinuses cleared up. Another bullet dodged.
I haven’t been within six feet of anyone except Dale. I always wear a mask and wash my hands fanatically, but still. This is scary stuff. As a bit of a hypochondriac, I decided to proceed with what I’m calling my early warning system. I ordered one of those pulse oximeters that measures your blood oxygen saturation levels. They say it’s a good way to catch a drop in blood oxygen levels, which can be a dangerous sign of COVID-19. Around $30.
We get a free newspaper we call the Village Idiot. I was reading it during breakfast this morning. They did man-on-the-street interviews, asking people what they were doing for the July 4th holiday. One guy said he was going to the Bay Area. One person said she was going to Utah for a family reunion. I almost choked on my granola. Why not swing by South Dakota and swap a little spit at Mount Rushmore while you’re at it?
Another woman said she was having a barbecue. While Dale insisted it could be just cooking up ribs for her family, having a barbecue sounds like an event not a cooking technique. I just wonder if any of these people are paying attention.
We’re not going anywhere. It’s not exactly traditional fare for America’s Independence Day, but I’m making chana masala, which I would describe as chickpea curry. The base is onion masala. I made the base yesterday, and the fragrance was intoxicating. Onions, spices, garlic, ginger and tomatoes all stewed together in the Instant Pot. I gave Dale a little taste, and he said just give me a spoon and we’ll have that.
BTW … I don’t use canned chickpeas. They’re fine, but I like the taste of beans when they’re cooked from scratch. And they’re so easy! I add dried unsoaked chickpeas to the Instant Pot, add water to cover and cook at high pressure for an hour if I want them on the soft side. For more bite, maybe 45-50 minutes. Then I freeze them in the liquid. Perfect for homemade hummus and other dishes like chana masala.
The big experiment today will be naan, Indian flatbread. I’m excited to try it. We have a small outdoor pizza oven, a Roccbox, and I’m going to cook the bread in that.
Food is starting to seem like the last good thing left of civilization. Dale and I both love to cook, but I’ve definitely gone down the rabbit hole since the pandemic started. We weren’t big into restaurants anyway, but now that’s not even an option for us until maybe next year. Cooking has been my savior throughout all this. And the more I cook, the more I want to cook.
The pasta I made this week came out great. I learned it helps to let the rolled-out sheets of pasta dough dry a little before cutting it into noodles. To reward myself for such genius, I ordered a pasta drying rack. I’m eager to try ravioli, perhaps stuffed with butternut squash and topped with a browned butter sage sauce, but I want to do tubular pasta a few more times to ensure this week’s success wasn’t just a one off.
One downside of all this cooking is the urge to splurge on kitchen stuff. I try not to indulge unless I absolutely positively need it, but I have my eye on several items: a gratin pan, a ravioli mold, a tart pan with a removable bottom and a waffle maker.
The waffle maker is high on my list because when are we going to get those again? Besides, the last ones I had in a restaurant were disappointing. Oh, and when I asked the waiter if they had real maple syrup, the guy looked at me like I was a complete asshole and said, “Well, it didn’t come from a tree.”
I am with you completely. Like what, you think the pandemic is OVER??? It’s getting worse. Love the idea of whoever going to Mt Rushmore with the over Trumpers and they can all get it. Hey, not to be nasty, but ironic that the girlfriend of Don Jr. has tested positive….if only…. if only.. his Majesty did for all his not mask-wearing.
I digress, about cooking and buying tools. I think I’ve gone a little overboard too. I bought some little 6.5 inches Lodge cast irons pans to make individual things in like mac and cheese, eggs, and who knows what else.
I did the whole fresh pasta thing a few years ago. It was fun but then I kinda felt buying pasta was just as fine although the lasagna I made fresh pasta was outstanding.
Well, we’re home for the duration and my son is cooking some Impossible burgers. Did you know Safeway has the package now and it looks just like meat? Quite tasty. I still love a meat burger but it’s a good option.
I agree dried pasta is very good. I still like making it! We have so much kitchen stuff. It is hard to hold back, so I’m starting to think of it like my closet. If you buy something, something else has to go.
I’m not sure about impossible burgers. We eat bison, which I think is pretty healthy. Pricey, though. I know impossible burgers aren’t meat, but is it any better tasting or any better for us?
Yeah, I’m not sure either. Barclay is a life long vegetarian so it’s fun for him to have something different although I think I like tofu burgers a little better.
Ooh doggie, I do love me some kitchen gadgets so I get it! However, my new kitchen is the size of my old bedroom closet (seriously) so I have got to rein all those impulses in. Sounds like maybe you don’t have the same size constraints, Donna (lucky you!).
Happy 4th of July, from Canada!
Deb
We converted a downstairs bedroom into a walk-in pantry and storage area. That’s probably all you need to know. Thanks for the warm greetings from Canada! I looked, if Trump wins, I don’t think ya’ll will take us. Too old.
You know what’s upsetting? Climate change is making it too warm for sugar maples. That really bums me out because ‘real’ maple syrup is the only thing I want on my waffles. I’ve even brought my own to a restaurant because I liked their waffles, but not their syrup.
A woman after my own heart! I thought about bringing my own maple syrup, but I thought, oh, who does that? Now I know, and I will follow suit if and when we ever go back to a restaurant.