My Dad’s favorite tree, the Japanese Maple – leaves, tho wet, are still intact.
As we speak, Mother Nature is busy in the midst of her “cooking up a storm” efforts. Mine, alas, will come a little later today as the energy rises here in NJ. Storm energy initiates a wide array of responses in people, doesn’t it? Some people panic, some burrow, some nest, some respond by attaching to the surges in environmental energy with bursts of creative activity. I am one of those people who loves going out in the middle of a snow storm, defying most earthly circumstances and feeling exhilarated. Feeling trapped inside is incredibly annoying to me. I used to have an old Toyota Land Cruiser and “we” just made it out in anything. In fact, I make it a habit of venturing out just to see how things are doing. I guess in some way it is a self-test of my nerve. In college I had a great 1967 Volkswagon Beetle, which, with its rear engine, could dig out of just about anything, and I did. Give me a clutch and gas peddle and I am never going to be stuck. All in all, I’m like the people who feel drawn to the ocean in the height of a storm to witness, or join in with the raw energy of the ocean at it angriest peak. I guess I identify more with the wolf baying at the moon than the shuddering fearful. IDK, maybe I’m just weird.
Last year at this time, we had driven down to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware to attend a parent’s reunion of my daughter’s college field hockey team, never believing it was actually going to snow in October. We arrived in Delaware at about noon on Saturday, I received a call from our dogsitter at 2:30 saying there was no way she could get back to our home to let the dog out again – we got in the car and headed north back to NJ. We hugged the coast along the NJ Turnpike, thinking it was warmer and did ok all along. About seven hours later we got off Rt. 78 at the Short Hills Mall and turned onto the local 24 West in Chatham. It was truly a twilight zone moment of transition – the highway had been merely wet – 24 in Chatham was a war zone. As we crept along the road, snow was blowing and it felt like the worst of February storms. By Madison, the power was out and trees were down all over. It took us several attempted routes to get through Madison and into our town. By the time we were about a two miles from our house, we had been turned around by trees across the road in several spots. We were making plans of abandoning the car and walking the rest of the way. I took the wheel and we crept along to Rt 202 South. We made it home and our dog happily came outside to greet us! Whew! That was a good one and I reluctantly have to admit that I am now a believer in the fate of the elements.
As the last few days have gone on and everyone has focused on the warnings, I become more and more impatient for the darn thing to get here and blow out already. When I woke this morning at 5:38 and realized it wasn’t even raining yet, I thought, enough already! Ok, well, you get the picture.
Yesterday, I saw Dorie Greenspan’s facebook post which said she was home baking and baking away, to soothe her nerves as Hurricane Sandy approached. I immediately identified with this urge to turn to the oven or stove. (Is anyone else wondering how we got to the letter “S” in the storm-naming time line this year?) It got me to thinking about how I have, indeed turned to certain culinary endeavors in time of emotional change and need of nesting. For example, each time we have moved since I have been married, (only 5 times really, including 2 on CC) the very first thing I have done is set out to start a huge cauldron of my Mom’s Spaghetti Sauce on the stove top – that represents to me the ultimate in comforting activity and “anchoring”. It is my way of calming my anxieties of leaving a much loved place as well as setting claim to my new place. I don’t know why – it just is. Next, it is to turn on the oven and bake something that feels like home. Maybe bread, maybe a cake.
(Here is the Spaghetti Sauce Update – still Mom’s recipe – best ever!:
)
This morning, when I let the dog out at 5:38 I surveyed the windy yard and thought, ok what AM I going to do today as we wait it out? Interestingly, over the past several days I have been more in angst about finally having to say goodbye to my flowers that have persisted in blooming all this way through October than anything else. I have an appointment with the Chiropractor at 9:30, so I am definitely planning on being on the road before that.
As I plan my day, it will definitely involve a stop or two at the grocery stores, to stock up the pantry and spend the day in the kitchen experimenting. Luckily, we have a generator now, so I can go to town! The spaghetti sauce scenario is a very good possibility for today partly because it would require me going out to get the ingredients I need. Baking is definitely on the agenda. I am thinking, maybe a new Brioche recipe, finishing the cookies – the dough for which is waiting in the fridge as we speak. These are the Soft Sugar Cutouts in Tracey Zabar’s One Sweet Cookie, p 172 from Maialino’s Jen Shelbo. Photo courtesy of One Sweet Cookie:
I will have fun making these!
And, I will stock up on frozen puff pastry and apples and pears to experiment with my new rectangular tart pan. I also have another new Ginger Snap recipe to try as I wasn’t really happy with the one I made last week. So, all of this by way of saying that the energy of storms invigorates me rather than sends me to burrow down and read a good book or something. As I sit here now waiting impatiently for some sign of the sun coming up – not for around another 4o minutes or so I am planning a day of activity. I hope to step out with camera in hand very shortly. (Obviously, I did.)
As I write this I feel oddly calm and even drowsy. Is it the suction of the energy outward as the storm gathers to its center and pauses momentarily before roaring in, similar to a mammoth wave? Well, anyway, to all: a peaceful but productive day and above all, stay safe and dry. I’ll let you know what I cook up today!
Scenes from this morning – looking pretty calm, isn’t it?
my hero – the fearless one:
And, of yesterday, Summer and Fall hanging together:
And, my forever favorite of Guy Wolff, hand thrown pots:
