homemade gnocchi | Morning Rounds

I’m really looking forward to surgery. I’ve finally come to full acceptance that this is how things are, and now I intend to make the best of it. No more resistance, no more blaming myself for so many choices: food choices through the years, choices that led to so many falls through the years, the choice to practice extreme yoga which led to at least one hip injury. No more ‘if onlys.’ I’ve remembered that millions of people suffer from arthritis, inherited and/or acquired, and I am simply one of many; I’ve remembered that I suffered a debilitating tick-borne illness 35 years ago, one longterm consequence of which is frequently joint degeneration; I’ve remembered that I came by these bones from a father who was crippled by the age of 70 with degenerative spinal arthritis. I’m grateful the intervention to replace this joint has been perfected. It’s still a big deal, but as long as I don’t die, I’m confident I can handle whatever comes of it with equanimity.

Home and yarden preparations are coming along. I get a couple of good hours a day with energy and minimal pain, and feel highly motivated this past week to get things done. I’ve had a couple of potatoes sitting in the kitchen for weeks destined for gnocchi, and finally got that made yesterday. I’m grateful for the little pasta tool that made it so easy, and for the explicit directions that made the dough turn out so tender. Amy and I made the full recipe awhile ago, but this time I just used the dough part of it and made regular gnocchi instead of mushroom-stuffed. I’m grateful for Radio Swiss Jazz, which has become a staple while I’m cooking, and many other times as well.

I froze some of the gnocchi raw, to be boiled later; I’m stocking up the freezer for post-surgery. I boiled the rest of it and froze most of that, but saved enough for a light lunch. I fried them in olive oil and butter, and at the very end tossed in some basil. The basil lost most of its flavor when it crisped, so lesson learned: next time it goes on after plating. Still. So simple, so delicious.

*While I’m recommending things, these cookies are THE BEST. I ordered them from Thrive Market, but found the company website with lots of other sweet and savory treats.*

*Desert four-o-clocks in the morning sun. I’m grateful for the resilience of plants! I think I’ve mentioned this before. So much that the grasshoppers did NOT demolish.*

I used up the last of the peaches this morning, with these easy puff pastry peach turnovers. They’d have been delicious plain, but I added a little sweetened cream cheese inside with the spiced peaches for a Danish-like twist. Some of these will delight my next few mornings, but half of them went into the freezer so I can share a taste of the peach tree with special friends coming soon who have missed the harvest.

As I prepared lunch today (below) I reflected on how grateful I am for the wonderful food that I get to enjoy every day. Sometimes I feel self-conscious posting so much food. I’m still discerning the relationship between hedonic sensory pleasure and the concept of genuine happiness that is derived from living a meaningful life in alignment with my core values. The two are certainly not mutually exclusive, but I think I walk a fine line. As the queen of rationalization, I can’t be sure where my values around good food blur into pure gustatory delight. Either way, I want to move to the village in Italy where my friend Maya assures me that the main topic of conversation is food. The first thing everyone asks, she said, is “What did you eat today?” I’m grateful for a delightful and meaningful zoom with her this evening where she shared this gem.

*Smoked gouda on toast with avocado and tomato.*

I’m grateful for so much today! First, I woke up alive. Second, my gentleman caller made it safely back home despite a medical emergency. Third, I’m grateful that I had delicious organic eggs from free-range happy chickens to boil, and some leftover vegetables to chop small and add to an egg salad along with a big dollop of Duke’s mayonnaise. I love lunch. And I love something on something for lunch. A big green salad just didn’t sound good today, and I didn’t have bread for an egg salad sandwich. But what I did have is a new (old favorite) pantry staple, Ritz crackers.

*A simple egg salad spiced up with leftover roasted cauliflower and sautéed string beans chopped small. I meant to only eat half of it but it was… so delicious. And so simple!*

I’m grateful that Ritz crackers were always present in the home when I was growing up; grateful to the Colonel for spreading peanut butter and mayonnaise on top of them one evening, which I thought was a disgusting idea until I let him persuade me to try one–years later on a road trip I found myself craving that very combination, and it’s been a ‘guilty pleasure’ ever since. But… for decades I didn’t let myself enjoy many Ritz crackers, instead buying healthy whole-grain, artisanal, expensive, better-for-you crackers. Some of them were and are still delicious. But for a go-to comfort cracker to top with anything at all, nothing compares to a buttery, crispy Ritz. I’m grateful that I let go of that judgment, that self-imposed limitation about ‘healthy’ crackers, and have allowed myself to keep Ritz crackers as a pantry staple. For emergencies, like ‘egg salad and no bread.’ It’s not like I eat them every day, or even every week.

I finished the egg salad and there were two crackers left in the sleeve. Hardly worth putting back in the box. So I fooled the Diet Police (in my head) into thinking I had them with peanut butter, when I actually spread them with Speculoos cookie butter for a small simple dessert. Better than eating five cookies or a bowl of M&Ms! I’ve lost a few pounds since embarking on the weight-loss challenge with my neighbors, and was grateful to have my visitor’s healthy influence of simply eating less of almost anything I wanted. Instead of outlawing anything.

I could have done better for dinner. I should have had that green salad. But there is absolutely no room in my freezer for anything else and I needed to make some space for more jalapeños, so I pulled out a bag of sweet potato gnocchi that I made a few months ago. I boiled it, then scooped it out into a small skillet along with a few spoonfuls of pasta water, and added half a cup of arugula-walnut pesto, simmered until it was hot, and topped with grated parmesan.

Morning Rounds

let me remember to be grateful every living moment of every day

Tag Archive | homemade gnocchi

Good Food (or, What Did You Eat Today?)

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