ON THE BACK BURNER

I've been watching some 2 year old You Tube's from Bon Appetite ,the magazine. They have a whole series of videos filmed at the writers  family kitchens. The difference in these two year old videos is that they were done at the height of the Covid quarantine. I wondered why so many of the younger staff that were involved in the videos had returned to live with their parents, in their old home towns. Then  I remembered. The restaurants were all closed and these single professional cooks, had no incomes,no jobs. . So you go where you are welcomed to live... for free. They were filming from places like Texas, New Jersey, Arizona. You  pick up on their personalities,some stick to the script, others more free form cooking styles. One guy is annoyed with his Mother because she cuts her onions pole to pole and not at the Equator.And he finds them when it's his turn to film.Another laments that he can't find New York Bagels and uses soft white bread for toast, because that is what there is.Occasionally, Mom or Da accidentally moves across the screen. Life during an epidemic.The videos are addictive because you become part of the family. Because they pretty much don't get out, some episodes challenge them to make a meal with just what they have in the house, making substitutions when they, for instance , don't have macaroni but do have orzo. It gets as basic as how do you make your coffee to what do you do for dessert when there is nothing much in the pantry. Ten chefs have 10 different ways for the right way to make coffee. I also learn along the way. Now I know that if I over salt , I can try adding an acid, like lemon or make more of the recipe and don't season. And , their refrigerators and freezers are as disorganized as mine. That makes me happy. I can relate.

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Latest comments

01.12 | 14:15

Safe travels. See you soon. sally

04.07 | 12:10

I read the last page first too. It’s a family curse.

22.05 | 12:38

so glad youre here mom!

29.08 | 17:45

Don't quite know how this got to me but it was on the top line of my computer (not in email) But I really enjoyed it. I truly admire you.