I eat, I read, I watch — dining solo #32
making lunch from nothing
I eat, I read, I watch — dining solo #32
Today’s post is the 32nd of “I eat, I read, I watch,” my column highlighting a solo dinner and my reading and watching accompaniments. Don’t just eat alone - dine solo! You’re worth it. And it’s not hard to do.
Missed earlier instalments? Check out the list at the bottom of the post.
I eat: Creamed Salmon on Sourdough
Sometimes the cupboard is near-bare and even I am stumped about what I might eat. The strip of takeout joints, just two blocks away, is like a siren call to my hungry ears. But one day recently, I created food from nearly-no food. Here’s how.
Thank god for onions. I started with one sautéing in a little butter in small saucepan. I diced the only other bits of veg I had — half a red pepper, two mushrooms, and four rather sad looking Brussels sprouts. The latter required peeling back a few leaves to find something that looked more or less edible. I added all the veg to the pan and kept stirring, adding a good shake of umami seasoning and a grind or two of salt and pepper. Then I reached for a can of salmon, struggled with the can-opener whilst stirring the pot. No need to burn all these nice veg! Finally I got the lid off the salmon and dumped it all in — liquid and all — and mixed it up a bit. I knew it needed some creaminess to make to work on toast, but I also thought a little thickening was in order. I made a slurry of 5% cream and a teaspoon or so of cornstarch and added it.
Then to the toast. Fun fact — Chandlerville is too small for a toaster. I use the broiler. I stuck a piece of sourdough in on what I think of as the toasting rack, jacked the oven to its highest heat, and closed the door. I’m pretty good at estimating the length of time to necessary for each side — every breakfast for 30 months will do that. Still stirring my creamed salmon, I flipped the bread to the other side.
With toast done and creamy salmon nicely thickened, I plated it. Hmmm, needs something. I grabbed a scallion, chopped it, and garnished. Voilà. Lunch. And leftovers for another day.
Prep Time: 10-15 minutes
Origin: All Ontario veg. Salmon - west coast I think? I try anyway.
Cost: $5 for the salmon maybe? Another buck for the rest of the ingredients.
What do you canned salmon? In the Comments below please!
I read: All the Way to the River: Love, Loss, and Liberation
If you haven’t read Elizabeth Gilbert’s 2007 smash hit memoir, Eat, Pray, Love: (a) you’re among a minority; and (b) you’ve most definitely seen the Julia Roberts movie that followed three years later. The book achieved brought Gilbert unheard of success, especially for a memoirist. I read it when we all did, long before I ever considered writing my own book. Frankly, I’ve given Gilbert no attention since, certainly overlooking the five books she’s written.
When, several months ago I saw she was coming to Toronto to talk about a new book, All the Way to the River, I thought it might be interesting to hear about her approach to writing, how she got an agent and a publisher, how she achieved the level of success, how it affected her writing since, and so on. I did not realize she’s got a cult-like following including 202K subscribers to her ‘Letters from Love’ substack.
I began reading her book enroute to the Toronto show this past weekend. Even then, it had escaped me that there would be over a 1000 fans (98% women) hanging on her every word from their seats in John Basset Theatre. Or that she would tell her story — the story in the book! - for an hour, with minimal reference to her writing craft. I’ll be honest, while it wasn’t what I expected or even wanted from the evening, it was very, very entertaining. There’s no doubt — she’s got a good story and tells it in an engaging way.
So I came home and hunkered down in Sunday’s snowstorm, ploughing through the book despite knowing what was coming next, because, well, it’s a good read. Oh sure, she’s taken some flak for it being priv-lit, or privileged literature, a term for literature that presents spiritual, philosophical, or existential journeys of self-discovery that are primarily accessible to those with financial privilege. I’m a bit cross at myself for buying her book. Like seriously, this woman does NOT need my money. But if you can wait a year to read it, you might want to put a hold on it at your local library. The waitlist will surely be that long.
Been reading a bestseller? Let’s hear about it in the Comments below.
I watch: Prime Suspect
In column #31, I talked about watching a modern-day UK cop drama with a female detective protagonist. It took me back to the early 1990s, when Helen Mirren starred in three season of Prime Suspect, playing the formidable DCI Jane Tennison. I’m rewatching the series now. Such an interesting time-travelling experience as I consider how ground breaking it seemed at the time to have a strong female cop lead. Mirren’s character is quick to identify when male colleagues treat her poorly. She also champions trans women in a plot line revolving around the abuse of young people, some of whom are in transition. Interestingly, though, Tennison moves on, seemingly unconcerned, when her romantic partner dumps her in Season 1 because she fails to make dinner for his colleagues — apparently the era didn’t allow for a working woman to be the breadwinner but not responsible for all the household work as well.
That said, this is great TV and a wonderful slice of history. Can recommend.
Have you gone back to something old? Please let others know in the Comments below!
Missed the earlier instalments of this column? Click:
#1 (pork chop & green beans)
#2 (trout & veg)
#3 (shrimp pepper bisque)
#4 (rice & peas with coleslaw)
#5 (ramen)
#6 (burger & fries)
#7 (duck sausage & salad),
#8 (shrimp & veg with pasta)
#9 (Wigilia)
#10 (mushroom shepherds pie)
#11 (roasted veg and sausage)
#12 (leftovers)
#13 (garlic shrimp with rapini on egg noodles)
#14 (beef stew)
#15 (salmon mac and cheese)
#16 (salmon cakes and ragout)
#17 (pork tenderloin, red cabbage, potatoes)
#18 (pulled turkey and salad)
#19 (almond butter chicken korma)
#20 (lobster tacos with asparagus)
#21 (rainbow trout, garlic mashed potatoes, and roasted asparagus)
#22 (pork tenderloin and black-truffle infused egg noodles with fresh asparagus)
#23 (grilled halloumi with roasted asparagus and mushroom salad)
#24 (savoury bread pudding)
#25 (Kung Pao chicken)
#26 (tofu, pepper, and shiitake stir fry on rice)
#27 (stuffed zucchini)
#28 (pulled duck tacos with cauliflower-stuffed red pepper)
#29 (Slow Cooker Chicken and Creamed Corn)
#30 (Beef stew with apple juice)
#31 (Eggs, Eggs, and More Eggs!)
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