Cooking from a Recipe

Poor Cindy is exhausted and fighting a cold so I insisted that she stay home today to rest and recover. I think this is the first sick day she has taken in twenty years. I’m being a good trailing spouse and making her garlic soup and a light omelette to get her healthy. There is plenty of spinach in both and, of course, enough garlic to choke a horse.

If you need to truly understand why Russia will not be a part of the twenty-first century for a while, just read this article.  It is all so very true and no one really can understand why they still have these arcane rules and regulations. Most Russians can get anything at any time, and without all the fuss. You just have to have some money and a friend in the black market.  Yet, ordering something from outside of Russia continues to be a problem for the average person.  Imagine Amazon having to complete thirteen forms to send a small package to Russia.  The fact that they can send things to Iraq with no problem is the most damning statement of all. 

Chicken Stroganoff

Yesterday I had decided to make chicken stroganoff and went to the store to purchase the things I thought I would need.  I came back and started to review some recipes since I hadn’t made this in more than twenty years.  On a whim, I decided to follow a recipe EXACTLY!  I found the one recipe that I thought would be the most fun to cook and the best tasting and except for the addition of two tablespoons of paprika to the flour mix and having a layer of fresh spinach under the noodles, I really did this just the way they said.  My goodness it is hard to cook from a recipe. It felt like all of my freedom to create had been taken away and my normal rhythm in the kitchen was replaced by stop and start bursts of doing this or that.  I really didn’t like the experience but the dinner was a big hit and it all was worth the effort.

Plating the dish(Note Recipe)

Not much going on other than nursing Cindy back to health so I need to go and minister to my patient.  I’m pleased that The Islamic Republic of Pakistan has decided to increase their security as a result of the recent events in their country. Here is a great photo of what a great nation can do when motivated.

Best wishes, Cindy and Wm

Note from CC:  I’m not quite as sick as Wm thinks, but the extra sleep - not to mention the extra garlic - was certainly needed.  His chicken stroganoff was FABULOUS – while I hated to read that his creativity felt squashed, he certainly got excellent results.