Dear Friends and Followers,
We hope you’re all doing OK and keeping safe. We’re as overwhelmed as everyone about our current state of affairs. With folks around the world (myself included) hunkering down and avoiding physical contact with friends, many of our routines have been thrown out of whack. In times like this, it often helps to stay productive and remain connected with like-minded people, if only on the internet.
Perhaps there is no better antidote to these times than reading a cookbook or two, as you stay home and finally have time to experiment with one or two new comfort food recipes. That’s one of the things I have on my plate while self-isolating with dear Abigail.
I hope to master the perfect baked chicken breast, try out Ottolenghi’s roast chicken with preserved lemon and sumac, and cook several one-pot dishes. If I run out of ingredients in my limited pantry, I may pull something weird out of my freezer and experiment some more!
In the meantime, here are some photos of the Dutch Oven event I attended with Central Coast Sisters on the Fly in Arroyo Grande several weeks ago. It seems like a decade ago!
A few of the Sisters.
Me, cooking Bison Chile from our Gourmet Girls Go Camping Cookbook.
Julie and her Enchiladas.
Jo and her Pioneer Woman’s Monkey Bread.
All of us! There were so many delicious bites to scoop onto our plates.
Dear friends, these are trying times, and trying times need a balancing force for healing. Time outdoors with loved ones restores the human spirit. When I go out to walk the dog, I see runners on my street I’ve never seen before. I notice families walking in the park across the way. There are no devices in their hands. Kids have sticks with which to play in the creek. It’s a weird time. Perhaps we’ll all act more human and feel more connected as we brace for the stress and impact of this crisis. As we move into a period of disconnection through social distancing, we hope that you will find safe moments to reconnect with loved ones and restore their spirits outside – whether in the backyard, in the park, or in the wild.
Be healthy. Be safe. Love everyone.
Gail, Denise and Lindsey
#gourmetgirlsonfire