JOYO U S CO O K ING MORETON NE AL IS AN AUTHOR AND INTERIOR DESIGNER WHO LIVES IN CHAPEL HILL. SHE IS A LIFELONG FOODIE, HAVING CO-FOUNDED LA RÉSIDENCE IN 1976.
COMFORT FOOD
The worst, and also the best, part of pandemic isolation has been limited choices. “Where shall we go for dinner tonight?” is a question we no longer ask. Popping off to the grocery store for eggs or butter can’t be taken for granted anymore. Like most of you, we stock up on canned goods, pasta and frozen items on our infrequent shopping trips. Luckily, we were signed up for a weekly box of Ten Mothers Farm produce before the pandemic began. This commitment forces us to seek ways to incorporate offbeat vegetables like kohlrabi, Japanese turnips and pea shoots into our cooking repertoire. Making due with what we had on hand became a challenging adventure. All those emails from NYT Cooking, Food52, Bon Appétit and Milk Street, previously unread, are now welcome additions to my inbox. Their food writers share the refreshing belief that we all can’t get enough comfort food. Pasta, polenta and mashed potatoes – squishy carbs I avoided for years – are our new essentials. And then there are pies, both sweet and savory, and their cousins, the galettes, tarts and cobblers. I learned to make frangipane filling and experimented with melted butter pastry. With my design business somewhat diminished, I have more time to cook. Accompanied by the jaw-dropping news of the day on my kitchen TV or, more happily, videos from Nancie McDermott (now available to everyone on her website, nanciemcdermott.com) or Bill Smith, I cook every evening. I experiment with my husband’s suggestions from his own food magazine emails. Trendier recipes call for sumac, miso, asafetida and other items we don’t have lying around, but the more empathetic columnists suggest substitutes for housebound cooks – a welcome accommodation. It’s perfectly fine to use a yellow onion when you don’t have a leek! With no one to share in all this delicious food, we devour the leftovers for lunch. A bitter reckoning will come when I finally have to put on something that zips or
MUSHROOM-CASHEW SOUP
This has been adapted from a vegan recipe that uses cashews rather than cream to enrich the soup. That recipe called for water instead of chicken stock, but stock adds much-needed flavor here. Serves 4 ¼ cup olive oil 12 oz. mixed mushrooms, chopped 1 large onion, finely chopped 2 shallots, finely chopped Kosher salt 4 garlic cloves, minced (about 1½ Tbsp.) ½ tsp. dried thyme ½ cup dry white wine 5 cups chicken stock ¼ cup raw cashews 1 Tbsp. red or white miso (can substitute soy sauce) Freshly ground black pepper Chopped parsley or chives, optional
buttons. But for now, cooking and eating have been a pleasure and a refuge through this crazy time. Meanwhile, restaurants are suffering. In November, a heartbreaking News & Observer article listed dozens of restaurant closings including too many from Chapel Hill and Carrboro: Elmo’s Diner, Lula’s, City Kitchen, Tyler’s Restaurant & Taproom, K&W Cafeteria, and most recently, longtime breakfast spot Ye Olde Waffle Shoppe have closed. Others are teetering on the edge, though efforts such as sidewalk dining and Franklin Street’s new pickup lane for takeout have helped sustain our downtown eateries. Some are being supported by understanding local landlords who have lowered rents. Others are being pushed out at this critical time by corporate landlords from out of state. What will happen to the rest remains to be seen.
In a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot, heat oil over mediumhigh. Arrange mushrooms in a single layer and cook undisturbed until browned underneath, about 3 minutes. Stir and continue to cook, tossing occasionally, until golden brown all over. Using a slotted spoon, transfer mushrooms to a plate, leaving oil behind. Add onion and shallots to pot, and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often and reducing heat as needed if beginning to brown, until very soft. Add garlic and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Add thyme and wine, and cook until liquid is almost completely evaporated, about 1 minute. Add chicken stock, and return mushrooms to the pot. Bring to a simmer. Transfer 2 cups of soup (including some mushrooms) to a blender, and add cashews and miso. Puree until very smooth and stir back into soup. Simmer, stirring occasionally, about 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and, if desired, top with parsley or chives. CHM
January/February 2021
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