Skip to main content

Making Do

Returned from an overseas trip (abruptly) to an empty fridge and a more empty grocery store.  Instead of getting my "list" of grocery items, I went for what they had.  Coleslaw mix (basically shaved cabbage in a bag), some hot peppers, Thai Eggplants and picked-by-hand Spinach (complete with clumps of mud).  Started searching recipes.  Made an Asian stir-fry yesterday, will do a Coconut Green Curry tomorrow, then soup.  Days of meals off of the leftovers of the produce department.  Not bad!  Flexibility, patience and a willingness to try new things is a must in this day and age.  Yes, I will be buying some restaurant take-out (they desperately need the funds) and will not be eschewing Asian places.  There is zero fact -- fact, not fear -- that the poor of this nation who man the kitchen areas of restaurants are more likely to spread any kind of disease.  Much more worried about my elderly white parents in a community of other elderly whites, many of whom enjoy a good cruise now and then.  There is also appreciation.  I always buy the triple washed greens.  It takes time to wash spinach thoroughly!  I will never take a box of that pre-washed stuff for granted ever again.  Stay whole, people.  Cook something fun, let this be a new day of exploration, and let things take time.  Everything is going to slow down.  That's not an altogether bad thing.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Afghan Bistro

With family members moving to Springfield, it has been a struggle to find good places to eat so far afield.  After flirting with some chain restaurants near the mall, we tried a Pakistani restaurant (there are many, many Pakistani restaurants there), but it fell flat.  Finally, someone suggested this amazing place.  It's a little hole-in-the-wall in a strip mall.  With oilcloth table coverings, the vibe seems questionable.  For about a minute.  Then you are warmly greeted and given menus with a plethora of choices.  My party ordered a great number of items and every dish rose above expectations.  The staff are eager to please and checked in to make sure everything was okay, from food to drink needs.  When a member of my party dropped a piece of silverware on the floor one of the waiters swooped in with a replacement before we could even ask.   But onto the food.  We ordered the Potato and Leek turnovers, the Aushak (leek and sc...
Post a Comment
Read more

First Watch

Meant to invite some family members here but a friend beat me to the punch.  We compromised and went together.  Unfortunately, this is a place where it looks better than it is.  Across the board.  The funky design scheme makes it an echo chamber and, with the pumping music, very loud.  Conversation was difficult.  The menu is covered in glossy photos and descriptions of the food but ... I started with the Morning Meditation Fresh Juice, a pretty blend of citrus and beet.  Or I tried to.  Took three reminders to the waiter and when it finally arrived, halfway into the meal, it was 90% ice and 10% juice.  My companions opted for coffee.  It was ice cold.  Another long wait (about 20 minutes) to get new coffee -- and included a reminder to staff that they wanted fresh cups as well.  I ordered the Vegetarian Quinoa Bowl, which was described as having up to 12 ingredients.  It had three.  The quinoa, an egg, maybe two teen...
Post a Comment
Read more

Dera

Was looking for a good Pakistani restaurant in Springfield and this one had some of the best reviews, so I gave it a shot.  Arrived for an early dinner to find some regulars around a table in a cavernous room.  The restaurant staff looked at us like we had interrupted a private party.  We sat and were grudgingly given menus after asking.  Tepid water in questionably clean glasses were eventually brought.  One member of the party ordered a salad.  It arrived in a large mixing bowl and was mostly iceberg lettuce.  A plastic basket of cold bread was literally "dumped" on the table, then the waiter disappeared.  Eventually we were able to get someone to take our orders, which included a curry, a biryani and a kebab.  Portions were huge and the rice, again, came in what looked like a mixing bowl.  It was enough to feed ten.  The food wasn't bad.  Sometimes the seasonings were a bit heavy handed (particularly for the rice) but it was...
Post a Comment
Read more