Quarantined… never did we think that this would be a situation that so impacted our daily lives. Readers I hope you are all safe and healthy. I can’t even count what day or week we are in, what I am wondering is has this time brought out your inner chef or made you a champion in ordering take out?
Quarantine has all given us the chance to see what we are really made of. Share your makings, inspire others and most of all find the joy on the simple things which are often taken for granted due to the bustle of daily life.
Last week, I was craving some homemade cooking from my mom. While doing a grocery run, I saw some salmon which in an instant took me back to living at home, coming home after school and smelling the spices and her fixing me a plate of tasting what she had conjured up. Confidently I came home like a woman on a mission: trying to recreate mom’s dish and bring into my home the feeling of being home.
Starting off with my “mise en place” (a French culinary phase for getting everything prepared and ready before starting) consisting of slicing the onions, garlic, tomatoes, parsley and green beans and gathering the needed spices. After measuring and putting the rice to boil, I got my hands on the salmon, which I cleaned thoroughly and cut fine into bits, rolling them into small sized balls (as one would make meatballs), rolling them through some whipped eggs and a final toss through bread crumbs. Placed them in a plan with preheated olive oil and a bit of butter on a not to high heat until crispy brown. Now for the sauce. Mom taught me how to make my own tomato sauce: in a pan 2-3 tomatoes chopped up, 2 shallot onions, parsley, 1 and half cup of water and a pinch salt and pepper to taste. Once it got boiling it was as if I was home with reversed rolls of me cooking for mom. At the same time in another pan, I prepared green beans I kept simple with adding chopped garlic and a pinch of black pepper and sat, less is more.
Now comes the verdict, 30 minutes later with my mom on videocall, I could see her pride and she could see me working away the dish she taught me to make years ago. (All this time she never thought I was paying attention while in true I was soaking it all up).
Readers keep safe, stay healthy and keep it that way.
One love.
-Mau.
