This is My First Post, But Not My Only Post (sung to the tune of "Fight Song")

Cooked by Vivian -

Hello friends,

While I have been working from home since last May, the last week has been a stressful and weird time to be working from home! Usually, I can go two or three days of not leaving my house and be fine. I would eat breakfast, make myself lunch, and also dinner (with an occasional take out if I felt like treating myself). The only time I would leave my house was to do the occasional errand, go to the YMCA to swim with the senior citizens in my neighborhood, and see a friend or two.

In the age of ~social distancing~ the only friend I have seen is Brian and, because we don't live together, not even that often! (Don't worry--he bikes to my apartment.)

Anyway, while people are saying "THIS IS THE TIME TO BE PRODUCTIVE! WRITE THAT NOVEL! KING LEAR!" my first reaction is, "What if I just watched re-runs of Vanderpump Rules and stare at the wall?" and sometimes "What if I just start writing letters to friends and stare out the window like an old-timey war bride?"

While I will be doing both of these things, I have also had the sudden urge to....blog.

My brain on Twitter isn't wired for long, sometimes earnest things, and my wrists feel bad writing up soliloquies on food on my phone, so voila, I have fired up the old Blogspot.

Opening up Blogspot in the year 2020 is strange because all of the old blogs I used to contribute/have started are still tied to my Gmail account. But, I am excited to start this new endeavor with you all--we are in a time when we are all going through the same strange thing and cannot be with each other physically. I can't wait to share recipes, stories of the inside (and occasionally outside), and anything else you may think about for this blog.

Elbow bumps and tiny bows in the meantime,
Vivian

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Pan Pizza Everyone is Making

Cooked by Vivian -
Image
You have probably seen this pizza before online because everyone is making it. I first saw this beautiful pan pizza on my friend Marian's Instagram. Then I saw it being made over on my friend Nick's Instagram. And then my friends Ian and Kristen's socials. It seemed daunting at first because all I saw was the prep time: 18 hours. But once I mustered up the courage and time to do it, I realized how EASY it was and how DELICIOUS the end result was. I have made plenty of homemade pizzas in the last few years but this one yields both a caramelized crust (thanks to the cast iron and generous portion of mozzarella) with a soft and fluffy dough (turns out, cold rising for days is worth it!) Ingredient-wise for the dough, you probably already have all of it in your house:   2 cups (240 grams) all-purpose flour 3/4 teaspoon fine salt (I use fine sea salt) 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast or active dry yeast 3/4 cup (170 grams) lukewarm water 1 tablespoon (13 grams) olive oil For the toppi...
Read more

Meera Sodha's Paneer Butter Masala

Cooked by Vivian -
Image
(I was supposed to artfully drizzle some cream at the end but it looks like a disaster, which is fine because we don't have to rely so heavily on aesthetics around here!) There is something soothing about making, cultivating, or growing an ingredient to use for several recipes--especially during this time. My boyfriend has already used some of the scallion we have been growing in my kitchen to make soft scrambled eggs! And right on time, on day five, my basil has finally sprouted! And for the Paneer Butter Masala, Meera Sodha's recipe from Fresh India , we decided to make our own paneer! We used the same recipe that Cale blogged about  but since we are not blessed with a tofu press, we used a colander, cheese cloth, and a 2-quart dutch oven to press. Still VERY easy! What I also love about this recipe is that you can find a lot of things in your pantry already: canned tomatoes, frozen peas, lots of spices, the herbs you've been storing properly , etc. I did...
Read more

A TRUE pantry lunch: Chickpea lemon-y Pasta

Cooked by Vivian -
Image
What a privilege it is to go to the grocery store whenever you want. To pop in just for the one or two things you need to get to execute a recipe perfectly. To have the money to do so, as well! In any case, it has been a creative puzzle to try to find adequate substitutes in my own kitchen and pantry for a meal, especially at the last dregs before you do  have to make that one big grocery haul a week (or two). As I was scrounging around my kitchen, I came upon one can of chickpeas and one lemon. I knew I had some dried pasta left (although I only had one serving of gemelli and one serving of rigatoni) and the last few stems of parsley that I was able to stretch out for three weeks. Then, I remembered a Melissa Clark recipe that included all of these ingredients, and a wave of excitement rushed through me. We can make a very delicious, very easy lunch! Yes, I had to substitute fresh rosemary for dried thyme and basil. Yes, I had a bowl with two different types of pasta s...
Read more