Eating to Cope

I have a lot on my plate these days.

 I moved...again.

Mom has cancer.

 Baby Girl is…off her feed.

But, the great thing is I now live in California...back where I belong…and I have a kitchen...and plates, and pans. So I can cope.

This is a basic/I can pull my shit together dinner.

Steak. Potatoes.  Asparagus. Wine.

Tip: Find tiny wine glasses. You can drink all night and feel good about yourself in the morning.

 

 

And, as Kathleen says:  Don't forget to breathe.

 

 

Cheese + Cake = Love

" I've been creating cheesecakes since 1978."  If I had a cheesecake store that phrase would go on the sign. Actually, I used to sell cheesecakes professionally. Two restaurants and family and friends bought my Lindy’s New York-style cheesecakes for a year or so back in the day.

Big, fat-filled three-pound cheesecakes chockfull of eggs and sugar and of course, cream cheese. And the crust- no graham crackers for us. (A poet- cook no less.) A yummy, shortbread-style crust encircled MY (and Lindy’s) cheesecakes.

I started to add candy, like tootsie rolls and Snickers. I made pumpkin for the holidays and chocolate just because. Fresh fruit and booze went into some and plain cheesecakes topped with whipped or sour cream which soon became favorites.

 My friend Julie and I once wolfed down an entire Pina Colada cheesecake (sans forks) on the front stoop of my house as we watched the planes land at the airport below.

OK, that was definitely in the 70’s.

But then my children took over my life and I needed a professional kitchen and so Mrs. Reed’s Cheesecakes quietly closed.

And honestly, I was sick to death of cheesecake.

But every now and then a cheesecake is requested /desired/needed.

If there was ever a time for cheesecake it’s this week.

I need to devote my attention to measuring and blending and stirring. I need to forget about cancer (for at least a few hours) and pay attention to cracking the eggs and slicing the strawberries. I need to mix and press the crust into the pan; not perfect, but just so.

This will be a cheesecake filled with positive vibes, hope, a few tears and possibly some magic.

The recipe is just a little different than my usual cakes, but I wanted to mix it up a little, be a little more creative and brave try something new as my daughter has requested a cheesecake.

 If she buys more Sara Lee frozen cheesecake I will only give her one piece of this one.

Because you don't live near a bakery doesn't mean you have to go without cheesecake. Hedy Lamarr

I don't have a mixer... but this monster is on the counter. It frightens me.

 

My shortbread crust. Trust me, it's better than those kiddy crackers.

 

Extra strawberry sauce which brother Frank declared, 'So-so." Ignore him.

 

Hell yes, this thing can do everything! Whipping the cream.


 

 

Forgot to take a photo of this completed cake- with whipped cream & strawberries. They ate it all. You get it the picture.

 

 

Food for Comfort and Comfort for Food; Part I

As the Laughing Matriarch, I laugh through about 98% of my life, but recently cancer made an uninvited and unexpected visited to my immediate family. Even a smile is hard to come by these days.

After a few weeks of tears and anger and confusion, I felt the need to try and wash away some of the sadness by going back into the kitchen full-force.

 

This isn't to say that the next few weeks/months won't be filled with tears, but I will do my damnedest to at least smile in the face of pain and confusion- and fucking cancer. 

 Once an optimist...

Of course, I still don’t have my own kitchen (next week I will!) but this lovely temporary one provided by my favorite female cousin will do just fine.

With the air conditioner cranked and an iced espresso with Bailey’s at my side, I will start this important/positive week off by cooking up the best potato salad recipe I’ve ever tasted- courtesy of the Pioneer Woman. (I will mention my slight adjustments.)

This is the real deal.

Screw the Costco Bucket O' Crap and don’t you dare bring potato salad from Vons to a gathering.

Mon dueu! (I still love France.)

Ask your hostess if you can bring something else if you can’t boil potatoes and eggs. I mean, really? You can't boil potatoes and eggs?

Anyway, here we go.

" Perfect Potato Salad for 20 or So." For the full-on recipe go to: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/06/fourth-of-july-week-perfect-potato-salad/

(I tripled this recipe for our Labor Day family gathering.)

 

Simple ingredients.

There is a reason it's called 'potato salad.'

Smash & mash. (But don't use the ricer- yuck!)

 

 

Sweet baby dills & green onions. Your greens.

 

If you don't have one of these things go buy one now. RUN! (Thank you, Cissy.)

Perfect potato salad for 20. (I fought the urge to add bacon- but you might not be as strong.)

 

Next up: Strawberry cheesecake.

Let your food be your medicine and your medicine be your food.- Hippocrates