Deep, cleansing breath, folks. We did it. We got to Christmas, with all its peaceful beauty, along with its warts and challenges.
It’s been a crazy year, but that seems to be par for the course in the 2020s. One thing that hasn’t changed: We need to eat. And if we have to, we might as well do it with flair and fanfare, even if we’re just making a fried egg sandwich. Put some cheese and ketchup on that bad boy, like my great-grandmother used to make for my brother and me.
Or go whole hog and dig out Mom’s lasagna recipe, make a citrus salad with one of every piece of citrus in the produce sections all over town. Throw some maraschino cherries in it for color. Like bread? Try making it yourself. Don’t eat bread? Splurge on the expensive olive oil and try it again, dipped in that. And we’ll talk.
Yes, food prices are higher than we’re used to. But still, considering we have to eat to live, cooking is still one of the cheapest and most rewarding hobbies I’ve found. To those who’ve followed me for 23 years, I thank you for coming with me on my journey of kitchen-based discovery. As much as I love food and everything about it, writing is my first love and you have supported that weekly for almost half my life.