BakerAunt
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Dinner on Tuesday was Salmon and Couscous, with Penzey's Sunny Paris seasoning. We also had microwaved fresh broccoli.
Wolfgang Puck's approach to restaurant closings:
https://www.foodandwine.com/news/wolfgang-puck-coronavirus-relief
Our dog would definitely have been on board with such a plan before we retired, but now she has us around most of the time, there is no incentive for her, especially if it might interfere with dog food deliveries.
My husband thanks Joan and Len for their birthday wishes. Last year's cake came out dry (I blame the apt. oven), but this year's is just right. It's a tradition that we cut the cake at lunch rather than waiting until dinner, at which time, we have another slice. The tradition started when we traveled here on spring break every year, and we needed to eat up most of the cake before heading back to Texas, although we would take it back and eat it along the way. As is also a tradition, I set the cake on his mother's candlewick glass pedestal cake plate, that she always used for their birthdays, to cut it. As the cake plate has no cover, the cake is on a plate that I can put back into a plastic cake holder after dessert.
I should mention that I use half bittersweet chocolate and half semisweet chocolate for the filling and the ganache. Ah, heaven!
I talked to a friend in California who is a Dental Hygienist. She was relieved to be declared "non-essential," and to be able to stay home. Her dentist's office was still open, but that likely will change shortly, except for emergencies.
We were at the local grocery today, as Tuesdays are senior discount day, when we re-fill our water jugs and buy a few items. Their truck didn't arrive until after we left, so there were more bare shelves than usual. (We have a community-wide email list, so such matters get announced in emergencies.) Bananas would have been nice. I've told my husband that he can start eating from the supply of York apples that I had reserved for baking. We noted that the local grocery had been cleared out of toilet paper. I could make a joke, but I won't.
In the community email, a store manager said that they are having trouble getting bread and have even sent someone to drive to the distribution center to try to get more. My husband has always been glad that he married a dedicated bread baker, but if his joy could be increased, it would be now.
Like Italian Cook, I'm thinking about cooking meals that extend what we have on hand, although I'm hoping that the supply chains will settle down in a few weeks.
Restaurants in town, with one possible exception, are trying take-out and delivery, partly to support their staff members who will take a major hit. However, the people who usually come up here at spring beak may be staying home--and if home is Indianapolis and Chicago, that should be encouraged. It would have been a bustling time for the restaurants.
I got it, too.
Indiana has closed all bars and restaurants. The local restaurants in town are turning to take-out and delivery to try to make it through the tough economic time ahead, while responding to the public health needs.
On Monday, I baked King Arthur Flour’s Favorite Fudge Birthday Cake. The layers are cooling. I’ll make the ganache and assemble the cake later this evening, so that it is ready for my husband’s birthday tomorrow. He looks forward to the cake all year, which is the only time I will allow us to revel in its saturated fat deliciousness, particularly when we don’t have other people with whom to share it. My only change is to use half and half rather than whipping cream in the ganache, as that worked well last year. The cake baked beautifully in my new oven.
One of my friends has a daughter who is a Physician Assistant. Her clinic has no Level 4 masks left for staff--which they need even if there weren't a crisis. I wish someone were in charge of making sure the health care providers get the equipment they need to protect themselves--and keep it away from those for whom it is not doing a bit of good.
I guessed scary and got the correct answer.
Aaron makes a good point about the opportunity for families to rediscover togetherness, and perhaps in an uncertain time to stop to appreciate rather than taking each other for granted.
Two of my stepchildren were out of the country when the situation was revealed as dire. Each will return this week, one at the scheduled time (and NOT from a country on the travel ban), and the other early from a country that is. When their mother picks them up, armed with wipes and homemade hand sanitizer, we will be much calmer here.
What is daunting for everyone in the country right now is that we don't know how long the emergency will last. We wonder if we have enough or if we are doing enough. Paradoxically, we must "socially distance" ourselves while also depending on each other.
To go with soup on Sunday night and the next night, I’m baking cornbread muffins. I’m using my Nordic Ware snowflake muffin pans, which I had not gotten around to using this winter. We did have a wet snow yesterday, but it melted earlier today.
For Sunday and Monday dinners, I have a large pot of soup simmering on the stove. I used the Bob’s Red Mill Vegi-Soup blend (lentils, split peas, and alphabet that dissolves), along with a large container of turkey broth from the freezer, and carrots, celery, and a red bell pepper sautéed in olive oil, then added ground turkey to brown before I added minced garlic and sliced mushrooms. I added the broth and the rinsed bean mix, then put in 1 Tbs. coarse salt, 1 Tbs. Penzey’s Bouquet Garni, 1 tsp. fennel (trying to get a sausage flavor going), 1 Tbs. tomato paste, and minced parsley. I’ll add some ground pepper at the end. I plan to freeze some of the soup for quick dinners, which is why I made such a large amount.
I was at the King Arthur website, as I needed to use a bonus bucks that was going to expire. They are temporarily out of a lot of flours as well. I was able to find steel-cut oats and thick-cut oats there, and use my coupon, so that was good for me.
I wonder if the issue is supply chain or people stocking up? Maybe there are more home bakers than we thought?
I checked the Bob's Red Mill site: They are sold out of almost everything, except for 25 pound bags in some items--and those do not qualify for the free shipping at $59 or more. I probably have steel-cut oats for another month, then if I cannot find them locally, I'll be eating up my supply of oat bran, which will not be bad, just different. Maybe I need to start alternating it in a few times a week now.
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