Just before everything closed down, most of us received a heads up that we were going to be very restricted during the “stay at home” order. This meant that stocking up on food for the duration, as best you could. Many store shelves were emptied quickly. So improvisation came into play for both food types and cooking ideas. If you couldn’t acquire the things you usually look for, it was time to make new selections.

“Julia Child came to my house and wanted a lesson in making risotto”

Lidia Bastianich

I love the idea that an expert chef like Julia Child realized that she could learn to cook new meals from other colleagues. This is a time to take out your cook books and or recipes online and get going with some new ideas. For example, I bought fresh crab cakes to freeze and tried one the other night. I realized I didn’t have tartar sauce but thought, it can’t be all that hard to make and it would be worth trying.

The results were wonderful. I improvised by mixing mayonnaise, dijon mustard, cornichons, capers and fresh lemon together. Having never made it before, I had no pre-set amounts for the ingredients so I just made it to taste. Some of these things were already in my pantry, some were things I had picked up. Truth be told, it was so good that I decided I wouldn’t buy store bought tartar sauce anymore! Small part of the meal, but an important one to brighten up the evening’s offering.

I’ll be experimenting over the next few weeks as many people will be. As I find good results, I’ll share them. The point is to give things a try. Tweak old recipes. Experiment. Have some fun. During times of stress, it’s important to make small things count. You’ll feel accomplished and may take some ideas forward when things resolve. That’s A Table for One.

Copyright 2020 Marion M. O’Grady