Letter #4

September 2022

Notes from Me

+Reading: In her cookbook, Cook Eat Repeat, Nigella Lawson has a wonderful chapter called “What is a Recipe?”

She writes, “A recipe, much like a novel, is a living collaboration between writer and reader. And in both cases, it is the reader who keeps it alive.” She talks about how she expects people who follow her recipes to change things based on personal tastes and to trust their intuition when making her recipes, but often people “are hesitant to do so without utter obeisance, asking permission to substitute an ingredient or deviate from the sacred text.” In her writing and her recipes she both gives expert advice and reminds the cook to be free to change things up: “Cooking, like life, is an experimental art.”

+Reading: I am reading through Keep a Quiet Heart, a collection of newsletters by the late writer, Elisabeth Elliot. The preface contains this poem she wrote (which I am praying lately):

Lord, give to me a quiet heart

That does not ask to understand,

But confident steps forward in

The darkness guided by Thy hand.

+Reading: This article profiling author Min Jin Lee’s sartorial choices made me smile. “If I get really excited,” she says, “I’ll maybe wear a tan.”

With the Boys

+Reading: The boys keep asking Ben and I to read Michael Rosen’s poetry collection, Bananas in My Ears. The dialogues and descriptions along with Quentin Blake’s zany illustrations induce giggles every time. 

+Watching: The Pixar short film The Present about a boy and his unexpected connection with a puppy.  

In the Kitchen

+Yeasted Naan Bread. I think we made this naan bread five times last month. The boys often like to participate in the kitchen, which is wonderful but challenging.  It has taken me a while to set them up with tasks that are achievable, quick, and don't require my oversight. This bread works well. The boys can jump in at the end of the process and meaningfully participate in the final result (roll out, cook, butter, serve). The older boys rolled and draped the dough on the griddle, and the 3-year-old used a silicone pastry brush to paint each hot-off-the-griddle piece with melted butter. For the meal, we ate the naan with lentils (either homemade like the recipe below or Trader Joe’s lentils) and steamed basmati rice. 

+Lentils with Coconut Milk: My friend Mary passed this recipe on to me a few years ago and we make it regularly. I’m often tempted to add in other spices but then I find the simple ingredients are so flavorful, extra spice isn’t needed. 

Ingredients

2 TB olive oil

1 minced onion

1-2 tsp minced garlic

1-2 tsp minced ginger

1 can (14 oz.) diced tomatoes 

1 1/2 c. lentils (yellow or red)

1 can (14 oz.) coconut milk

1 can (14 oz.) water

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 c. chopped cilantro

Directions

1. Warm oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook until it’s soft and translucent. (At this point, if you want to put in some finely diced carrot or another hearty vegetable, do so). Add garlic and ginger and stir for 30 seconds. 

2. Drain tomatoes and add them to the pot. Stir ingredients and let them cook for a few minutes. 

3. Add lentils and coconut milk to the pot. Fill up empty can with water and pour it into pot. Stir. Bring to a boil and then turn heat to low and partially cover the pot. Let the lentils cook about 15-20 minutes or until they are soft. 

4. Stir in the salt and chopped cilantro. This is very good served with steamed rice and naan bread.  

Notes

1. This stew could easily include other vegetables, such as chopped carrot or sweet potato (I often add both), which can be added right after the onions. 

2. I often use my immersion blender at the end for a smoother texture. 

3. If you prefer a soupier soup, then add more water or broth to the lentils before boiling.

4. I’ve used coconut cream and milk and both work well here. You’ll just need to add more water if you use cream. 

Small Joy 

This month, I ventured into plant propagation. I followed this video to propagate my pothos. Like one of the commenters on the video suggested, I used a twisty tie to keep the cuttings together. It has taken a couple of weeks, but now I can see the roots are darting down a tiny bit every day (amazing!) Soon, I’ll repot the cuttings. 

Until next month,

-Susie

P.S. Laughter = medicine.

*pictured at the top: a cover of Bernard Waber’s eccentric short story collection, “Nobody is Perfick.” It seems like a fitting reminder for the start of an academic year.