When life gives you lemons, pucker up
My head is full of COVID-19 and I am trying hard to learn all its lessons, all at once.
So far, I have committed myself to embracing my grey hair, and fighting for longterm care homes that recognize both the value of their staff and residents. Oh, and also, while doing pilates in the basement alone is no fun, it’s possible, just as it’s possible to reduce carbon without killing the economy.
Plus, we must all learn to sew.
COVID-19 has us in a panic, and while there is much to be done — writing to politicians, donating to charities — it’s important not to be overwhelmed by it all. Even as my stomach is in a knot, I am looking for ways to move forward.
Cooking has been a balm these last two weeks. Because I spent 11 years as the food writer, people assume I am a whiz in the kitchen. While I am a good home cook, I am not a culinary queen, mostly because I have spent four decades going at a dead run, and told myself there was no time for a deep dive into the kitchen.
But now the pace of life has changed. Working from home, I am able to wander into the kitchen throughout the day to prepare the evening meal, and there has been true joy in that. It’s not that I have rediscovered cooking. Rather, I have stumbled across time.
In my kitchen from 4 p.m. on, I have the chance to observe time. It ticks comfortably along with the warm sun that shines through my west-facing windows. Time is observed when I am in the kitchen long enough to smell something coming to fruition. It takes time to leaf through my many cookbooks; now I imagine what would be nice to eat, rather than what can be prepared in the least number of minutes.
This past 10 days or so, I have made a half-dozen dishes and sweets from Gwendolyn Richards’ cookbook Pucker. Gwendolyn used to write about food for the Calgary Herald. Pucker is a tribute to citrus and features dozens of recipes made with lemons, limes, Mayer lemons and grapefruits.
Lemons are only a few dollars a bag at the grocery store right now, so I have been feeling both frugal, and inspired in my meals of late.
I’ve made spaghetti al limone (a pleasing mixture of cream and parmesan cheese that smacks brightly of lemon zest and juice), lemon bars, lemon loaf cake with glaze, southwest salad with honey lime dressing, currylime lentil soup with yogurt and mango chutney, and pasta with prosciutto, peas, mint and lemon. Tonight, I tackle chicken with lemon, chorizo and oregano.
Like me, you probably have a vast store of cookbooks. I love them for the same reason I love newspapers. Someone else qualified to do so has figured out what’s important, and is there to tell you.
During COVID-19, there is a lot of frightening information to digest. When you are tired of trying to make sense of it all, I suggest putting yourself into the hands of a good cookbook author. Let them guide you, if only for an afternoon. You won’t be sorry.