Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Comfort me with food


I claim mental insanity, when I decided to start studying for the GRE because today my prep book arrived. I immediately started to skim through it and discovered that it seemed just like the SAT, but all the words I once knew failed me. I mean, who actually uses the words-assuage, cacophony, ephemeral- in daily life? I know of no one.
Of course this comes after helping a friend's daughter with a percentage of a percentage problem today, which I couldn't understand. Did going to college make me dumb? Or is it that I haven't had math since high school?
Personally, I'll go with the latter, but all this education talk made me hungry and what better way to easy a hurting head than with food. Plus, it was one of my nights off, so I could cook a decent meal in my kitchen without having a time limit or forgetting to defrost dinner.
I knew I had zucchini, which was on its last leg and googled a recipe. For meat, I felt like chicken. But what I was really feelin' like was biscuits. Nothing is better than a golden fluffy biscuit. O.K. so that statement is a stretch, but I'd prefer a homemade biscuit to Pillsbury any day.
Sure the can is fun to pop open, but making them is just as fun.
(Note: I've been craving fried chicken, but I put it off until I had some guinea pigs to try it out on. Plus, grease still scares me. It is the one hospital visit I do not want to make.)
So I made the biscuits which puffed and became golden brown, zucchini hash and chicken. It was so nice to have a home cooked meal again. I forget sometimes with late night work shifts, how comforting a meal can be.
Now I've promised myself that I would begin preparing meals before I go to work, so on my lunch I can just pop them in the oven. Well, see how long it lasts. Or if it even starts.

Zucchini Hash
(adapted from Cookin' for Real)
1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 tablespoon butter
1/2 pound zucchini, cubed
1/4 onion, diced
Salt and freshly ground pepper

In a large skillet, heat oil and butter over high heat. Add zucchini, squash and onion. Cook until softened and golden, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.

1 comment:

kat said...

Sounds like just the ticket when you need a little comforting.