IN THE KITCHEN
RECIPE(ISH) NO. 2
GARLIC BROTH
IN THE NEW YEAR, I’M SURE MOST OF YOU ARE PONDERING YOUR RESOLUTIONS AND WHAT 2019 HAS TO COME. AFTER WHAT FEELS LIKE AN ENTIRE YEAR ON THE ROAD, I’VE BEEN THINKING A LOT OF WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A RITUAL AND A HABBIT. WHEN I CHECK INTO A HOTEL, I IMMEDIATELY TURN ON THE TELEVISION TO LOCAL NEWS, UNPACK MY BATHROOM ESSENTIALS AND THEN GOOGLE THE NEAREST OR BEST BOWL OF PHO. IS THIS A RITUAL OR A HABIT? WHEN I GO TO TRADER JOE’S I ALWAYS HAPHAZARDLY THROW A BAG OF TEENY TINY AVOCADOS INTO MY BASKET AND THEN THROW THEM DIRECTLY IN THE TRASH IN 6.33 DAYS. IT IS A WASTEFUL HABIT, BUT IS IT ALSO A SACRIFICIAL RITUAL? ONE GOOD HABIT THAT I DO CONSIDER A RITUAL IS WHEN I AM GROUNDED IN CHARLESTON, IS I MAKE A STOCK EVERY SINGLE WEEK. THIS STOCK THAT GROWS UP TO BE A BROTH HELps BALANCE MY GUT HEALTH AND ALLERGIES FROM EVER CHANGING CLIMATE ZONES. MY GO TO STOCK ENTAILS ORDERING 2 POUNDS OF CHICKEN WINGS FROM THE BUTCHER AT WHOLE FOODS, TOSSING THEM IN CHINESE FIVE SPICE AND BAKING THEM OFF WHEN I UNPACK THE REST OF THE GROCERIES. I DON’T EAT A LOT OF MEAT SO THIS IS A TREAT AND LESs WASTEFUL THAN ROASTING A WHOLE BIRD I HOPE SOMEONE WILL ENJOY JUST FOR HER BONES. SOME OF THE WINGS SERVE AS A SMALL SNACK, THE REST GET PICKED AND BONES BROWNED AS THE BASE FOR MY GENEROUS BROTH. THIS PAST WEEK AFTER BEING AWAY FROM HOME FOR THREE, THE CHICKEN WINGS WERE FEVERISHLY DEVOURED BY SOME HUNGRY HIPPOS AND THE BONES WERE LAYED TO REST IN HEAPS OF FALLEN RANCH DRESSING. SO HERE WE ARE WITH A 100% VEGAN YET MORE UMAMI RICH BROTH THAT CAN BE ADAPTED TO WHAT IS APPROPRIATE SEASONALLY OR MOMENTARILY FOR YOU TO SIP AND STEW IN FOR THE NEW YEAR IN THE NEW MOON.
RECIPE(ISH) NO. 1
CHRISTMAS CLAMS
THERE IS NO DEFINITIVE RECIPE FOR CHRISTMAS CLAMS, LIKE THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS IN AND OF ITSELF, IT IS ALL A FEELING. ON THE WINTER SOLSTICE EACH YEAR, HOPEFULLY UNDER A FULL MOON, MY FATHER AND I LAYER UP AND HEAD TO THE BEACH A HALF HOUR BEFORE THE PREDICTED LOW TIDE. WE NEVER KNOW HOW MANY QUAHOGS OUR LABORS WILL PRODUCE. WE COULD GET “WORMED OUT” OR “SKUNKED BY THE SEA” IN THE CRISP DECEMBER AIR. WITH SOME LUCK AND PATIENCE THIS YEAR, WE DUG UP JUST ENOUGH TO ENJOY DURING THE YULE TIDE. WE ARE CLAMMING MINIMALISTS. ONE PITCH FORK (TWO TOOLS ARE BETTER, BUT WE CAN’T SEEM TO KEEP TWO IN ONE PIECE AT THE SAME TIME, WE ARE DEALING WITH SALT WATER HERE AFTERALL) AND A YELLOW MESH CLAM BAG THAT HAS OUTLASTED MANY BOYFRIENDS OF CHRISTMAS PAST. OUR CHRISTMAS CLAM RECIPE, CHANGES YEAR TO YEAR, AND IS ARGUABLY THE SIMPLEST TREAT.
