I go through an ebb and flow of what I enjoy doing in my everyday life throughout the year. It’s pretty typical that I start to dislike and even dread making dinner during the summer. It’s hot, I’m already in the kitchen, baking, and I would rather be outside. Or, in the pool. Or, eating fresh, raw fruits and veggies that require very little cooking. One way that I’ve found I can break this cycle is after a vacation. I have numerous food allergies, one of the main one being soy (which is in everything!), and after a week of eating out and having to ask lots of questions about what’s in my food, I very much look forward to cooking for myself. Last week, I was happy to come back to Vermont during the height of the growing season, and it was pleasantly cool. I turned on the oven to roast a chicken and baked biscuits to go with it, and didn’t mind the heat nor the process. I made sushi the next night, and then roasted eggplant, hummus, and tzatziki with homemade pita on the side. It was a good line up of meals, with plenty of leftovers for lunches.
Over vacation, I was talking about coffee and cocktails with my brother, which made me think about flavor combos and bitters to try making. I used to have a shelf like an apothecary with a line up of labeled Mason jars. They contained infused sugars and salts in myriad flavors that I could add to pastries. The problem is that they needed to be fresh to be potent and there was no way that I could use all that I made, especially in the more unusual flavors. So, I started disposing of them as they lost their flavor and didn’t replace them. But over the last few months, I’ve made food for events where I’ve needed different flavor components again. The little jars are starting to collect again - a lavender sugar here, a vanilla bean Maldon salt there. I’ve been supplementing my usual cup of tea with iced tea plus homemade boba, and matcha lattes made with maple syrup and oat milk. I have plans to make some bitters for my brother out of local ingredients, like black walnuts. And all the sudden, I’m glad to be back in the kitchen, concocting and experimenting.