The cozy home cooking edition
Welcome back to Five Things I Ate! This week, it’s all about comforting things you can cook at home. If you’re new, check out past posts here, and please follow my Instagram @fivethingsiate.
Brown sugar and banana oatmeal at home
Somewhere in ~~ Brooklyn ~~
For the past week, I’ve been waking up feeling like a 20 pound cat is sitting on my sinuses, except the cat is being a real jerk and only showing up on alternate days, and returning just when I think I’ve finally gotten rid of him. So, a cat. Anyways, on those days a hot breakfast is essential, and oatmeal mixed with melty bananas and a pool of butter is pretty good medicine. To make the best oatmeal, you’ll need the following: half a cup of old-fashioned oats (do not use the instant kind!), one slightly-speckly banana, a spoonful of dark brown sugar, good cinnamon*, and a generous knob of salted butter. First, cook the oatmeal with a cup of water, a pinch of salt, and a generous dash of cinnamon, either in the microwave or over the stove, just until the grains are starting to plump. Slice the banana, and stir it in. Cook for another minute, so that the banana softens, but doesn’t quite melt. Take it off the heat, add a fat slice of butter, and just as it starts to melt, pour over a splash of unsweetened soy or whole milk, and sprinkle with a wee bit of brown sugar. Do not stir, do not pass go, do not collect 100 dollars, just eat immediately.
*There’s a huge difference between the kinds of cinnamon you can buy. I swear by the Costco cinnamon, but in a pinch, you can buy the McCormick roasted cinnamon.
Banana chia seed bread at home
Somewhere in ~~ Brooklyn ~~
A few weeks ago, I impulsively* bought a bag of organic chia seeds at Trader Joe’s. I had this vision that maybe if I made chia seed pudding and ate it instead of ice cream for dessert I could magically transform this gray wasteland into a beachy paradise, at least in my mind.** Anyways, obviously that didn’t happen, because it turns out when I’m not on vacation chia seed pudding is kind of gross and way too healthy to be a satisfying dessert. So instead, I mixed it into my favorite banana bread recipe (two tablespoons will do) for a sort of faux-poppyseed effect. Unlike poppy seeds, the chia seeds will plump up a bit when baking, creating an interesting texture. Eat at two in the morning at the kitchen table, slathered with tons of Kerrygold butter, negating all illusions of health food.
*Although, to be fair, all purchases at Trader Joe’s are impulsive.
**Just kidding, New York, I love you.
Butternut chicken spicy thai red curry at home
Somewhere in ~~ Brooklyn ~~
If I was cursed to eat only one dish to eat for the rest of my life, I’d choose curry.* Curry is so versatile and diverse, it’s really more like a genus of food, rather than a species. Also, anything that’s spicy and warm and pairs with rice is an automatic win for me. I tend to cook a lot of different Thai-ish curries at home, throwing in a can of coconut milk and whatever vegetable I have on hand, plus chicken (or chickpeas, when I’m going veggie). This week, I made a pretty great curry, so I thought I’d share a rough recipe with you all. To make the curry, peel, de-seed, and cube one small butternut squash (microwave for a minute for easier peeling!). In a big pot, fry a ton of minced ginger (I used at least an inch), garlic, and one diced onion in a spoonful of coconut oil. Add three boneless, skinless chicken thighs, and sear until browned, flipping once. Add a can of coconut milk (Goya brand is good!), the butternut squash, a spoonful of soy sauce, two spoonfuls of fish sauce, two spoonfuls of dark brown sugar, and simmer over medium heat. Meanwhile, wash and chop a large bunch of cilantro. When the chicken is tender, stir in cilantro. Cut a lime in quarters, squeeze in the juice and toss it in. Add additional fish sauce to taste. Serve.
*First, I’d ask myself what kind of magical being would come up with such a specific punishment and if they have any culinary weaknesses I could exploit, of course.
Ginger chicken congee with wood ear mushrooms at home
Somewhere in ~~ Brooklyn ~~
According to one man’s opinions from 2300 years ago, every object and being has a telos, or ultimate purpose. The telos of an Instant Pot, I have learned, is to make congee. Ignoring all the 500 other buttons and options it provides, this is its one and only True Purpose. Even if it didn’t cut down on cook time and eliminate the need for careful stovetop monitoring, I’d still choose to make congee in the Instapot, because the resulting texture is so, so silky. With high pressure, you get perfectly cooked, soft grains of rice suspended in a thick broth without any mushiness, and the chicken falls off the bone. I followed this recipe from Amy + Jacky, throwing in a handful of dried wood ear mushrooms with the chicken and rice, and topping it off with an ample amount of sesame oil, salt, and black pepper. Comfort food at its finest.
Boba milk tea at Mi Tea
Not in Brooklyn, but at 101 Macdougal St, New York, NY 10012
Congratulations! You’ve made it to the end of this newsletter. And I’ve made it to the end of this effing week, just barely. We both deserve a bubble tea, even if it it’s the opposite of a home-cooked meal, and will make me feel slightly sick after. I can never quite tell if boba makes me feel a little sick because it actually contains dairy, and thus I am committing stomach suicide by chugging a whole cup of cold milk, or because it doesn’t contain dairy, and I’m committing stomach suicide by chugging a whole cup of non-dairy creamer chemicals.* No matter, because 2019 is all about sparking joy and boba sparks a lot of joy for me! It is cold and creamy and caffeinated, the cup has a cute image of a little zen guy on it, and there’s a heart-shaped stopper. And also I have to run to the bathroom now to throw up now because I think that Lactaid pills are a scam, bye.
*Can someone clear this controversy up for me once and for all? Does chain store bubble tea actually contain dairy? Or is it just all the sweet sweet taste of non-dairy creamer? Pls reply to this email if you have knowledge, thx.
Have a good weekend and call your mom,*
Soph
*If y’all have a supportive relationship.