Comfort Food

Summer Colds and Refried Rice

Hello,

Never finish a toddler’s popsicle. Even if you are walking down a city street with nary a garbage can in sight, or he has handed you his treat, and it is about to melt down your arm. This is probably how my grandson passed along a nasty summer cold moments before I noticed that his little cheeks were really rather warm.

Before this unfortunate choice, my husband and I had babysat for a total of six days in July while exploring the playgrounds of Manhattan’s Central and Riverside Parks. His mother had signed our little guy up for a nature class in Central Park on Wednesday mornings. At the appointed time, we crossed a footbridge off 76th Street to meet the class at a mulberry tree. Even the location was charming. During circle time, the children sat on logs and made mud pies. We all took a short loop through the woods to check out a stream and small waterfall. The highlight, though, was snack time, where homemade bread with apple butter was served. The counselors passed out porcelain tea cups in little draw-string bags for the children to keep and bring to subsequent classes. Hibiscus tea was served, made special by these sweet little cups, and our grandson’s request for “more”. Lest this all sound too idyllic, I did see a giant rat run out of the bushes during circle time.

We had finished our agreed-upon babysitting dates before I began to feel a general malaise. (And, more importantly, our grandson and his parents are now recovered, or so I have been reassured.) But during that time when it was hard to coax me off the couch, one still has to eat. My husband, who has remained robust, is perfectly capable of managing dinner for a few nights on his own, but by the third or fourth night I suggested that he pick up Chinese take-out. Our dental office is across the street from a popular Chinese restaurant, and my dental hygienist swears that many customers coordinate their checkups and ordering take-out for dinner. Why does anyone enjoy Chinese take-out? Granted, this is New Jersey take-out and not New York City. The vegetables are overcooked, the chicken is tender only because it has been coated with cornstarch, the cashews are soggy, there is an excess of sauce, and canned baby corn is not something I really want to eat. The only thing that I found appealing was the sticky white rice. As we had barely made a dent in the container, I prepared refried rice the next day and found it rather comforting.

Fried Rice

Ingredients

1 to 2 T olive oil

2 scallions, finely minced

1/2 red pepper, finely chopped

1 c frozen peas, defrosted

1 1/2 cups cooked white rice

2 eggs

sesame oil

soy sauce

Directions

In a large skillet, heat 1 T of the olive oil. Saute the scallions and the red pepper until they begin to soften. Add the frozen peas and cooked white rice to the skillet. Break up the clumps in the rice, and cook for about two minutes. Push the vegetables and rice to one side of the skillet. Add a touch more olive oil to the empty side of the skillet. Break two eggs into the empty side and scramble. Once the eggs are cooked, toss everything together. Serve topped with a touch of sesame oil and soy sauce.

How is the Chinese restaurant in your neighborhood? I may be jealous.

Be well!

Vicki