Amidst the uncertainty and turmoil of the 2020 pandemic, I, like so many other home chefs, tried to find control and calm through sourdough bread. I created a starter, named him Gary and poured my nervous energy into multiple attempts at transforming him into delicious bread for my family. My husband, in the meantime, turned his attention to that other pandemic hobby: cocktail making. 

Unfortunately for both me and Gary, I found the whole sourdough endeavour rather stressful. I can barely keep plants alive in my house; why did I think a starter – that needs regular feeding and watering, weighing and discarding — would be any different? I had to set alarms, plan ahead and, worst of all, do math. Suffice to say as my stress levels around baking rose, my sourdough loaves did not. Within a few short weeks, all sense of control was gone and so was poor Gary. 

Life has begun to feel somewhat turbulent again these days, with a bleakness unfurling across my news feed and social media at an alarming rate. I find myself holding my breath as I did at the start of the pandemic, finding it difficult to keep focus. I am yet again looking for spaces where I can create a sense of control and calm, of comfort and connection, and, yet again, I am turning to my kitchen. But rather than overcomplicating things with sourdough starters or fussy meals, I’m enjoying the freedom of simplicity.

Perhaps when things calm down on a blood pressure and global news level I’ll be interested in cooking fancier foods again. For now, I’m taking great pleasure in choosing local products and finding the easiest way possible to transform them into something tasty for my family and friends. And I’m grateful that of all our pandemic related hobbies, my husband’s cocktail making seems to have stuck.

‍Perfect peasant bread

Ali Stafford of Alexandra’s Kitchen describes her mother’s peasant bread as “the best easiest bread you will ever make.” After my sourdough slump, this felt a little too good to be true. Countless perfect loaves later, I can wholeheartedly agree with her. The recipe below is adapted from her book Bread Toast Crumbs. If you enjoy it as much as my family does, I highly recommend reading about all the equally easy variations Stafford offers in her cookbook and on her website. 

Makes 2 loaves.

Ingredients

4 cups (512g) all purpose flour 

2 tsp (10g) kosher salt

2 cups lukewarm water (about 90°F/32°C)

2 tsp (8g) granulated sugar 

2 tsp (8g) instant yeast

2 Tbsp butter, at room temperature 

• In a large bowl, mix together the flour, salt, sugar and yeast. Add the water and mix with a wood spoon or spatula until all the flour is incorporated. 
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean tea towel and leave to rise in a warm spot for at least an hour - on cold days it’s taken my dough two hours to double in size. 
• Preheat the oven to 425°F/220°C and butter two 1L/32oz glass or oven safe bowls (I used ones similar to these).
• Using two forks, scrape the dough from one side of the bowl and lift it over onto the middle of the dough. Give the bowl a quarter turn and repeat. Do this two more times to gently deflate the dough a little. 
• Again using your forks, separate the dough in two by parting it down the middle. Lift up one portion and place it in a buttered bowl before transferring the second half into the other bowl. 
• Leave the dough to rise again in a warm spot for 20-30 minutes. It should just be peeking over the top of the bowl when it's finished.
• Place your bowls in the oven and bake for 15 minutes before turning the heat down to 375°F/190°C and bake for a further 15 minutes.
• Turn the loaves out onto a cooling rack and let cool for 10 minutes before slicing.
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Honey butter

Freshly baked bread and honey butter are a match made in heaven. If you want to spread a little joy in your community right now, drop off a loaf of your peasant bread alongside a small jar of this sweet and salty butter to a friend or neighbour. I guarantee it will brighten both your days.

Ingredients 

8oz unsalted butter at room temperature

¼ cup honey

2 Tbsp powdered sugar

¼ tsp sea salt

• Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer, beat the softened butter until smooth. The longer you beat it, the lighter and airier its consistency.
• And the honey, powdered sugar and salt, beating until everything is well mixed and the butter is smooth.
• Taste and add more honey or salt as desired.
• Store in a jar or airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks. 
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Potato and leek soup

This past fall I signed up to a local CSA (community supported agriculture). Each week, I choose from a list of farm fresh produce and have it delivered to a local pick up area. It's an easy way for me to support our local growers, feel like part of a community and ensure that we’re eating lots of fresh food. Admittedly, after a season of root vegetables, I’m very much looking forward to the bright variety of the spring and summer boxes. In the meantime, I’m making the most of what we’ve got with recipes like this potato and leek soup. Equal parts velvety smooth, hearty, and comforting this classic, adapted from Jenn Segal of Once Upon A Chef, has a satisfying depth of flavour. 

Serves 6.

Ingredients

3 Tbsp unsalted butter

3-4 large leeks, washed well, white and light green parts roughly chopped (5 cups)

1 clove of garlic, minced

2 lbs potatoes (yukon gold or yellow potatoes), peeled and chopped into ½” pieces

7 cups vegetable or chicken broth

2 bay leaves

3 sprigs of fresh thyme

1 tsp salt 

Fresh ground black pepper

1 cup heavy cream

Fresh chives, chopped

• Melt the butter over medium heat in a soup pot or dutch oven. 
• Add the leeks and garlic, stirring occasionally until the leeks are soft, about 10 minutes.
• Add the potatoes, broth, bay leaves, thyme, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil before covering with a lid and lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are soft. 
• Take out the bay leaves and thyme. Using an immersion blender, purée the soup until smooth. 
• Stir in the cream and bring the soup back to a gentle simmer. 
• Add salt and pepper to taste if needed.
• Serve with chopped chives.

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Joan’s peasant omelette

The recipe below was a staple in my grandmother Joan’s repertoire. She called it a peasant omelette because of its simple, affordable ingredients, but really it’s a frittata. Frittatas are endlessly adaptable to what you have in the fridge - leftover roasted vegetables, ends of cheese, sliced ham or bacon, even that last handful of baby spinach. Only have 5 eggs? That’s okay, it’ll just be a little flatter. No fresh veggies? No problem, you can substitute frozen home fries for the potatoes or jarred roasted red peppers with goat’s cheese for a mediterranean take. I make lots of versions of this for lunch or dinner, but there’s something about the simplicity of Granny’s version that always satisfies. 

Serves 4-6.

Ingredients

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 small yellow or red onion, finely chopped

3/4 cup frozen peas

1 lb baby potatoes

8 eggs

½ cup cheddar cheese, cut into cubes

Pinch of salt

Ground black pepper

• Boil the potatoes for ten minutes in salted water. Strain and once cool enough to handle, cut into quarters.
• Position a rack in your oven to 6-8 inches below the top element and preheat the broiler.
• In a bowl, whisk the eggs with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large oven-proof skillet. Add the onions and cook until softened.
• Add the potatoes and peas to the pan, cooking until heated through, 3 minutes.
• Lower the heat to medium, pour the eggs into the pan and gently shake to evenly distribute the ingredients. Sprinkle the cubed cheese on top.
• Cook for 2-3 minutes until the edges look set.
• Turn off the heat and place the pan into the oven under the broiler. Broil until the eggs are set and the surface is lightly browned, 3-5 minutes.
• Using oven mitts, remove the pan from the oven. Let the frittata cool for five minutes before sliding it onto a serving plate and dividing into even wedges.

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Corpse Reviver no 2

I asked my resident mixologist for his favorite cocktail to share. He proceeded to rattle off five or six that have been in regular rotation on the weekends since the pandemic. When pressed, he narrowed it down to the Negroni and the Corpse Reviver no 2. I opted to share the latter with you as it's a little less conventional but just as gratifying after a long week of doom scrolling. Cheers!

Ingredients

¼ oz dry gin

¼ oz Lillet blanc

¼ oz Cointreau

¼ oz fresh lemon juice

2 dashes absinthe

Strip of lemon peel for garnish

• Shake all the ingredients with ice
• fine strain into a chilled glass
• Add a twist of lemon peel as a garnish