Deliciousness Is Still Possible
Well,
✔️Little access to bread or crackers or coffeeshop muffins
✔️A pantry full of items that can be used
✔️Two girls who need to do a math lesson
So, what else does one do in the midst of COVID-19 lockdowns?!
We BAKE.
We bake because sometimes we don’t know what else to do.
We bake to connect with our children and to keep the fun alive in our homes.
We bake because we, in our humanity, still need to feel that there are luxuries, and a hot chocolatey brownie fresh out of the oven might be the most luxurious it gets.
Yes, baking feels like a luxury but also not.
I loved this quote in a recent email from NY Times Cooking editor, Sam Sifton:
“I’m here just to say, quietly, that deliciousness is possible against the backdrop of a national emergency, and that it matters to discover that’s the case, for deliciousness improves moods, and inspires hope. Deliciousness sends a message. Someone cares. That’s as true if you’re making a chocolate-chip cookie pizza with the children as if you’re laying waste to the pantry to create a timpano you’ll eat for a week. So, please, cook this week as much as you can, and reap the rewards in good humor and a little relief: At least we have this.”
There are so many things that unite us in our humanity right now, and one of them is this. I think of the WW2 English citizens on tea rations, savoring every drop of tea with the last two cubes of sugar. A rustic pie being made in a North Carolina depression-era kitchen with flour, sugar, and backyard apples.
So, I’ve been leaving out my clear glass plate with the Christmas tree engraved in it (obviously way past Christmas) and the glass dome that fits over it perfectly to showcase what’s inside. And I’ve been keeping that glass plate filled with treats we made together with aprons tied around our waists - measuring and scooping and pouring, waiting expectantly while the stomach-grumbling aroma fills our Tennessee farmhouse kitchen, feeling camaraderie with everyone else around the world who is baking away the doom that threatens to settle into our hearts and homes.
Here are some things we’ve baked lately:
Easiest Homemade Bread. This is my go-to bread recipe that only takes 4 ingredients, and 1 of them is water. Perfectly crusty on the outside and soft on the inside. You can totally do this, and it will bring a feeling of specialness and comfort to even the most humble of soups.
Best Ever Gluten-Free Scones. These turned out super light and just perfect. I used a 1-to-1 gluten-free flour that already included xanthan gum. I used almond or coconut milk for the liquid and organic cane sugar for the sweetener.
Rosemary Almond Meal Biscuits. A gluten-free, grain-free staple in our kitchen for many years. When I made them this week, I didn’t have rosemary, so I chopped up some scraggly fresh sage and thyme that somehow survived the winter in my herb garden. Hope prevails.
Apple Turnovers. Because my oldest daughter is obsessed with all things Laura Ingalls Wilder, we’ve made a few recipes in The Little House Cookbook. If anyone knew how to make something out of little, it was the Ingalls family…right?! Well, the apple turnovers were technically made by the Wilders, but who’s counting? To respect the copyright, I didn’t include the recipe here, but there are many easy ones online - like this one.
The Perfect Fudgy Brownie (grain-free & paleo). I’ve loved Carrie Vitt’s recipes for years and have one of her cookbooks. One of my dear friends makes these for every gathering, so this recipe feels comforting. I cannot believe brownies made with such healthy ingredients can taste this good.
Flourless Peanut Butter Banana Muffins. Made with oat flour and a great breakfast for kids, these are gonna be a staple…as long as we still have chocolate chips and peanut butter!
Image: makingthymeforhealth.com
There might be a day when our taste buds no longer matter, and the warmth of a fresh dessert coming out of the oven no longer comforts us. But not today, COVID-19, not today.
