And now you try
Your handful of notes;
The clear vowels rise like balloons.
-”Morning Song” by Sylvia Plath
The sea of spuming thought foists up again
The radiant bubble that she was.
- “Le Monocle de Mon Oncle” by Wallace Stevens
“Shall she not find in comforts of the sun,
In pungent fruit and bright, green wings, or else
In any balm or beauty of the earth,
Things to be cherished like the thought of heaven?”
-”Sunday Morning” by Wallace Stevens
here’s something that disturbs me: you know the mindset of many a restaurant-goer, perhaps one upheld by friends of yours, family: the, ‘why would I order it if I can make it at home’ theory?
yes, that: it disturbs me. I find this entirely against the point. some of the more important and simple joys of the day are found in making the food you want to eat. to me, that food should generally be straightforward, something true to its ingredients and your own taste. if your favorite cafe doesn’t provide that kind of food, where is the appeal? if you aren’t making the food you want to eat, what are you making? why be entertained by your food, rather than nourished and comforted?
eat what you want, what feels right; eat what you’d like to make for yourself. always. this is as much about trusting your taste as it is about food that is honest. it is about appreciating food for its finest qualities: as something that is simple, and really quite beautiful in that respect.
Cappuccinos.
Baguette with butter and honey in the morning, butter and salami in the evening. Having real bread in the house has made me about 10x happier. I always tear out the middle and stash it away; it’s almost time for panzanella. My favorite, my very favorite!
Salads with a mix of chard, kale, radicchio, savoy cabbage; one day I had golden raisins & walnuts, carrots & apple, parmesan, salami, and a sweet vinaigrette. Another, the same earthy mix with yellow tomato, avocado, more walnuts– bitter, rich, meaty; they are so mysterious and satisfying.
I simmered some black beans tonight with herbs, sauteed carrots and onion, spices like cumin, cayenne, cinnamon. To be topped with avocado, sea salt, and lots of love.
And potatoes, peas and carrots are going to make a lovely little soup.
Yes. Warm weather and good food, yes.
dinner:
“Sir, respect your dinner… Idolize it, enjoy it properly. You will be by many hours in the week, many weeks in the year, and many years in your life the happier if you do.”
-Thackeray
Listening, lately:
The Animals
Nina Simone
The Vaselines
In danger of being too fushion-y for your taste, may I just say a word about the edamame?
First of all, you can add a bit of water to the thick, rich stock and make a lovely edamame soup.
Secondly, once you make that soup, you should toast some bread and spread it thick with Chevre goat cheese. Drizzle on some olive oil, and add some salt and pepper. Now, dunk it in, pile it on, and have at that Japanese-meets-Provencal bowl.
Since we’re on the topic of fushion, I wanted to say a few words about the humble peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It is sandwich perfection, and as such, an inspiration. Salty-sweet. Simple. Joyous.
Now, when I find inspiration in a PB&J, it is not to replace the peanut-butter with supposedly superior condiments. The peanut-butter has a savory, implacable richness that contrasts so well with the jam.
Rather: I’ll use orange marmalade, sticky and bittersweet, in place of jam. I’ll add some thinly sliced apple and some basil. Or, sometimes I’ll toast the bread and add slivers of banana and fresh ricotta.
XO
I made edamame en brodo today, and it was grand.
As ever, simplicity and genius are bosom buddies in such a recipe. It’s straightforward– simmer something in (free range organic, please!) chicken broth, and you will have something mighty fine. But if you must know, get out a heavy-bottomed soup pot.
I chopped up 3/4 of a red onion, a celery heart, a large handful of flat-leaf parsley, some mint, and minced some garlic.
I heated up a knob of butter and threw in the onion, celery, and parsley with salt & pepper– saute the mixture until it is soft and fragrant. Then, I added the garlic and mint, and sauteed this for a little while longer.
I dumped in a bag of frozen, shelled edamame and cooked them for a few.
Next, I added a quart of chicken broth, brought it to a boil, and turned it down to let it all simmer away, spiking it with Crystal hot sauce and celery salt. Once the beans were supple, nutty & tender, and the broth was reduced, I added several dashes of rice vinegar and swirled in another pat of butter and a final pinch of salt.
What you will have are severely delicious, well seasoned edamame in a shallow, piquant broth.
The dish tastes simultaneously of springtime and comfort food, so dig in.
Lunch today was a kale salad with sweet slivers of apple and carrot; toasted almonds. Some good aged cheddar and pumpkin-seed crackers.
Yesterday it was a big, soft ginger cookie with a leaf-printed latte; you may pick which was an improvement (I’m going with today’s, as nice as it is to have a fika sometimes.)
