Ready. Set. Go!
If only there was someone, like the guy with the starter pistol at the 100 meter dash, who always knew when the start should be, who was always willing to tell us, and was always right. Of course, Starter Pistol Guy only needs to concern himself with the clearly defined end of the previous race and the clearing of the track (someone else’s problem) before confidently and sharply defining the next beginning. Whether everyone showed up means nothing to him. And he doesn’t have to live with the results of the race.
I’ve wanted to reboot this site for some time, mostly with complicated re-branding, new focus, new ideas. I left my food service management job in December, when the overwhelming hostility made me realize that the stress and overtime were totally not worth it. I now have a data-centric position in a large company, and room to breathe, both at work and at home. I have the time.
It’s a marvelous feeling, this having some free time, and I was going to reinvent myself with it. The problem was that I wasn’t sure where to begin, and without some kind of Starter Pistol Guy, I didn’t know when either. I was finished with one race, and so the next could start. When I thought about it, though, I didn’t want to run a race anymore. Besides, starter pistols are loud and startling and make me anxious. I’m much more comfortable with a quiet revelation, a subtle shift, the sun coming from behind a cloud. Since uncertainty is inevitable anyway, I’m much more comfortable with planting seeds than with pushing off with all my might from a starting block.
I still love to read books, study cookbooks, watch movies and series, tinker with some crafts, and garden, so I will always write at least a little about those things. This site will still be mostly about food, though. I just love it too much. The way I eat and the way I cook have changed since I began writing here, even since the last time I posted. It will be fun to see how that plays out in words and pictures. I’m still silly and love a pun. I still can’t seem to keep my kitchen, or the rest of my house, very clean. I still cook for Harry and myself nearly every day. I still love to talk (and write) about what I ate today, what I plan to eat tomorrow, what would be great to eat some day, and how to make it all. I cook and I bake. I eat and I enjoy.
So, there’s a pot of Soup Beans with brown rice for supper, and shredded cheese and chopped green onions to go on top of it. This is, of course, the ultimate comfort food, warm and savory, a little spicy, cheesy, nourishing, and ready for leftovers and repurposing. This is still one of our favorite meals for all its simplicity and no-nonsense-ness. It’s good to eat, and that is all that matters.
And for dessert, there’s a brownie sundae. The remains of a pan of brownies (I brought the rest to share at work) are the starting point. A perfect square, or a crumbled rubble, your choice, is terrific topped with vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce, and a squirt of Reddi Whip (or whipped heavy cream if you’d rather be fancy). I refuse to participate in a calorie-counting diet culture when such joy can be had.
There are seeds sprouting in the back yard. Radishes and arugula, peas and cilantro. They will inspire me when they are ready to eat. Or not. The inescapable nature of planting seeds is that the results remain to be seen.
Coming soon: A chocolate sauce recipe. Rhubarb! Spring weather (I hope!). Maybe something green.
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