Is this blog all over the place, with no rhyme or reason? Yes. You should be solidly aware of that by now. Today, I revisit some the many things I’ve cooked or baked during the Pandemic. Obviously, this list is not exhaustive.
Keep in mind, I still avoid going to stores unnecessarily, so instead of turning out a wide array of impressive ingredient recipes, I’ve just made a bunch of shit with pantry staples.
Without further ado, Things I’ve Cooked During the Pandemic.
Lemon Tumeric Tea Cake
Grade: A+
Source: NY Times Cooking (subscription, sorry, but if you google it my guess is you’ll find it wink wink from a site called diaspora wink wink)
Short Verdict: This is the best fucking thing I have ever baked in my life.
Longer Thoughts: This recipe has REALLY good reviews on the NYT Cooking site, which is probably the only reason I ever downloaded it to begin with. I like lemons, but anything savory in my bakes seems… mostly weird. But the reviews were like “THIS IS AMAZING” so when I found myself with 5 lbs of lemons (you only need, like…1.5 lemons though), I finally made it. For reference, I made it with sour cream (not yogurt) and bypassed the whole “thinly slice lemons and put them on the top” instead opting for ‘sprinkle 2 tbsp of turbinado raw sugar on the top” (my turbinado raw sugar is an impressive 8 years old, btw, expiry dates be damned). It’s so good that we stake out claims on the cake.
PS: I’ve made this now three times since the Pandemic began and #3 was a bit dense, but still a solid A. I suggest going over on ingredients like the tumeric and lemon, not under.
Blueberry Frozen Yogurt
Grade: B
Source: Cookie + Kate food blog
Short Verdict: A very pretty deep purple fro-yo that tastes decent.
Longer Thoughts: This began when my pre-fab fro-yo starter was found to be rock hard, and I had some yogurt I needed to use. It expired in 2016 and apparently time was not kind to it, in those four years (Yes, I would have used it had it not been a solid block). I thought, “Well, what do I have that I can make fro-yo with?” and the only answer was “Blueberries” so I googled Blueberry frozen yogurt and here we are. Very easy, although not quite as easy as dumping some mixer into a bowl with yogurt and milk, and a much longer process as you have to make the syrup and then cool it down completely. Did I have all the honey it asked for? No (even after microwaving the bear, which yes, I KNOW IT SAYS NOT TO DO BUT I’M STILL ALIVE AND WE ARE IN A PANDEMIC, DON’T FORGET). Did I sub in 4 teaspoons of sugar, without any regard to how short I was on the honey? Yes. Did I flick hot blueberry juice onto every surface in my kitchen? Absolutely. But I got some fro-yo and it tasted decent. Not great, and I threw some of it away when I wanted my ice cream storage bin for a different frozen treat (ok fine, it was for ice cream)… but it was OK.
Tamale Pie
Grade: B-
Source: The Joy of Cooking (from a straight up recipe book that you physically hold! Also, NYT reprinted this recipe so if you have their subscription… you can get it there.)
Short Verdict: Wayyyyyy to much crust going on.
Long Verdict: It sounded better on paper than it tasted, mostly b/c the cornmeal crust was bottom, sides and top, and it was way, way too dry. So it was “cornmeal forward,” a flavor I don’t think any chef has ever aspired to. The cornmeal is from 2013, because I’m sure you’re curious. This is close enough to La Bamba Casserole (a sold A++++, which I’ve made many times during the Pandemic and will long after it is over) that there is no need to even try making a better version of the recipe.
Chocolate Chip Sour Cream Cupcakes, with store bought frosting.
Grade: A-
Source: Joy of Cooking and the grocery store
Short Verdict: Combining shortcuts like store frosting with real cooking is not a terrible way to go.
Long Verdict: I find making frosting to be excruciating (but it does taste WAY better than plastic tub frosting – excluding Rainbow Chip frosting which is amazing). I keep needing to find uses for the sour cream I buy, so thus the sour cream cupcakes. Chocolate chip cupcakes are actually quite tasty – not something I think I’ve had before. I’m pretty sure this leftover frosting is still in my fridge and it has to be loaded with chemicals so maybe I can still use it!
Tuna Pesto Grilled Sandwiches
Grade: A
Source: Run Fast, Cook Fast, Eat Slow (also a real cookbook – from U.S. Distance Runner Shalane Flanagan and Runner/Nutritionist Elyse Kopecky).
Short Verdict: Fast, easy and super tasty.
Longer Verdict: These are so, so easy to make (well, if you have pre-made pesto, that is). One thing I buy in the pandemic that I would *never* have owned in Before Times (aside from 5lb bags of russet potatos), is Costco-sized pesto. Sure, it says it doesn’t last super long but guess what? It lasts pretty long (I’ve used mine for a few months without issue). And when it goes bad, it molds. So you know it’s bad! GENIUS! These sandwiches just involve a can of tuna (I spring for the good shit that costs $5 a can – brag), some pesto, some bread, sliced cheese and the recipe calls for plain yogurt, a thing I obviously do not have. However, you can sub sour cream or mayo (if you use mayo, go light on it… the pesto is…already full of fat). Then you just crisp it in a pan, with olive oil or butter (who feels their arteries tightening? I do!). It’s almost like the women who created this recipe run like 100 miles a week!
Clearly I’m aspiring to be a food blogger, given the complete lack of photos (and recipes) here. I will try to take like, one photo on the next go round.
Seattle Sessions 