In the midst of uncertain times, you have to be resourceful with food in a way that many of us are unfamiliar with – supplies are dwindling, stores are flooded with panicked shoppers, and the very idea of going outside paralyzes motivation. So needless to say, my cooking has been focused and sourced by ingredients we can easily access at local markets. We’re really lucky to be surrounded by sources that are both reliable and safe; which have led to some delicious meals. I share the below two recipes with the understanding that the ingredients are not easy to get – I made both dishes last month when things were a bit less crazy – so I hope you will see these as a bright spot for something to try once we do return to normalcy. With that, please enjoy this Potato Chowder and Sopa de Pollo Verde.
Potatoes are an incredibly diverse and easy to cook food – you can mash, boil, fry, roast. Yet one thing I realize I’ve never made was a true potato chowder. It’s such an easy recipe, especially when you have quality ingredients, and comes together quickly and beautifully for an easy weeknight dinner.  I stand by Yukon Gold for this particular setting, but feel free to substitute your favorite variety. And yes, I used whole milk rather than cream to make it somewhat healthier, but you can sub that in as well…but maybe schedule a quick nap after the fact since it will be a good deal heavier than this version. Click HERE to see the recipe for this delicious chowder.
This next recipe was a lot of fun to make – we found most of the ingredients at local markets, and fell in love with the rich color of the end result. It is packed with flavor, thanks to the mirepoix of peppers as well as the finishing accoutrements (radishes might be my new favorite garnish for soup). We roasted the chicken, which is a departure from the original, in an effort to parallel path the cooking of the meat and the base. This step is totally up to you (and the time you have) but the end result was still mouthwateringly delicious. Click HERE to see the recipe for this verdant masterpiece.
I’ve been curating this blog for nearly 10 years, and have never dealt with something quite like this. Day to day, it becomes a little bit more difficult to find the motivation to keep up with hobbies (like this blog) as our emotional and physical exhaustion grows. And yet I have been so inspired by the way that people are coming together, bringing hope and light to this otherwise incredibly dark moment in our history. Every day at 7pm the streets of New York break out into applause for healthcare workers; companies are finding endless ways to give back by manufacturing PPE or simply donating product; and musicians have found a way to share their art with us even while in isolation. I always knew Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 and specifically his “Ode to Joy” would require a truly profound moment for this blog – this is that moment, and the below video is the perfect way to bring it to life. Rather than share the history of the piece, I instead invite you to watch the below and see why I struggle to hold back tears as I type this. I wish you and your loved ones safety, health, and of course joy as we work to get through this crisis together.