Comfort Cooking

My friends and family (and me too!) are posting lots of goofy pictures and videos and cartoons to make us laugh while we are so freaked out by the covid-19 virus. I just posted a clip of baby elephants sliding down muddy hillsides and dogs leaping into leaf mountains) helps relieve the unending tension of a very scary time indeed.

Those of us that garden are also posting lots of pictures to Instagram and Facebook of our flowers and plants as they unfold for spring (ironic that the most beautiful season of growth is also the most prolific for the spread of viruses!).

Being a good cook, and having my repertoire of family favorites, and well as my own personal list of comfort foods, is making it way to my everyday discussions as well.  I grabbed a box of Cherrios while on a mission in Walgreens, for heaven sake, with the sudden remembrance of how much I loved my Cherrios and milk as a kid.  Haven't had Cherrios in many years, having moved on to "healthy" alternatives like granola and yogurt with fruit. Damn those Cherrios tasted good this morning!  It's kind of the mode that "this-may-be-your-last-bowl-of-Cherrios-for-the-rest-of-your-life" moment.  I have struggled all my life with food issues, thanks to growing up in a culture that values hefty portions of delicious complex foods to reward everything from good grades to mourning the dead.
I find myself cooking all sorts of stuff, from an amazing bread recipe from a long ago friend, favorite cookies for my sister-in-law who is on the other side of the country, to very slow cooking savory dishes that I now have time to give all the attention they deserve (three days from roasted bones to perfect vegetable beef soup or pho!).
The really nice thing is that I have combined my love of gardening and cooking for most of my gardening years, and I can now step outside and snip or gather all manner of wonderful ingredients.  Bay leaves, rosemary, thyme, parsley, scallions and savory are available almost all of the time. Kale, cabbage, garlic, leeks and rhubarb are very long season and I can store or freeze them too. The summer bounty of fruit and warm weather veg are enjoyed for 4-5 months, then they are dried or frozen or preserved.
My granddaughter asked me to send her the recipe for my pralines that I made last Christmas. After a couple of years of trying, I finally turned out several good batches (lots of prompting from a friend in New Orleans notorious for his luscious "secret" recipe).  She planned to make some and send them to her host family in Japan she lived with last summer.  I like that.  We can share our comfort foods across the miles...virtually or by mail.
I for one am going to try not to cook too much.  My freezer is nearly full and I doubt if the cats will eat my outstanding Mexican chicken soup...