Non Voyage

F

French Onion Macaroni and Cheese

The panic of the Covid-19 pandemic reared its ugly head over the weekend. France is in lock down. Everything is closing except for groceries, pharmacies,  gas stations, tabacs and essential services.  After much agonizing, I made the painful  decision not to fly to France tomorrow.  This required a lot of soul searching. What was the motivation for my trip?  Hanging out with friends, participating in the hiking groups, enjoying life in France.   Would this be possible in light of the current restrictions? Then there is the unknown? Would I unwittingly be spreading the virus to the sweet older residents of Monflanquin? How seriously would people take the urge to self-isolate?  What difficulties would I face upon my return?  I exhausted myself checking different web sites for information.  Finally, I reached out to friends in the village to get their perspective.  The general consensus was that Monflanquin would not be as I know it. So here I sit sad and mad and very tired.

 I walked to Starbucks with Bill and Maggy today.  Most of the customers drove through or ran in and out to get coffee. Thinking of coffee, we just learned that  our son Michael closed both his Brooklyn coffee shops indefinitely due to the New York lock down.  As a mother, that hurts more than any other Covid-19 disappointments.

I did not think any photo could sum up this post. So you are looking at a picture of French Onion Macaroni and Cheese, made with gruyere and white cheddar. It tastes like French onion soup without the soup, the closest  I could get to anything French this week.  Its creamy deliciousness did offer temporary comfort.   Be well, everyone!

Love this cook book!

Exotic smells dance through my kitchen these winter days. Seeds of cumin and fenugreek combined with chat masala, turmeric, black salt, ginger, garlic, and hind  magically transform our  ordinary week day dinner to a fragrant Indian feast.   I received Indian-ish by Priya Krishna as a holiday gift back in December. The best way to describe the cook book is happy. Ms. Krishna shares her Indian  family's traditional and  not so traditional recipes. Designed for the home cook, the recipes are easy to follow. The author explains basic techniques of Indian cooking and offers tips through out. The essential spices can be found in Indian/Middle Eastern grocery stores or can be ordered online. Throughout the book are picture's of Priya's happy looking family with special tributes to her mom.  This one loving cook book has helped me get through the gray rainy  Oregon winter. Un grand merci to Priya Krishna.