Life has taken a few interesting turns in the last few months. With it, it brought a level of stress and anxiety. As much as I am trying to stay positive, I find it difficult. And so, I walk into the kitchen and turn to cooking, to feed, to soothe, to take a moment from thinking about everything that is happening and everything that is not. This sounds like one of those non-specific Facebook posts, does it not? But without going into details, I’ll just say that a lot of balls are up in the air right now and I’m failing at juggling.
But back to the kitchen. One onion, a few cloves of garlic, and thyme. And time. That night’s meal prep was an exercise in patience. Thin onion slices, mingled with minced garlic and a sprig of thyme with a bit of olive oil. Over medium heat, they softened up, sweetened up, and turned tender. There was no hurry, no cranking up the heat, no multitasking. Just the sweet and savory aroma filling the kitchen. At the end of the process, I splashed a little bit of rice vinegar and turned off the heat.
There are so many uses for this jam-like onion condiment. I spread the onions on a piece of sourdough bread, topped with sharp Cheddar, and thin slices of crispy pear. A second piece of bread went on top, lightly pressed, and transferred to a skillet. The end result was a perfectly crispy and gooey grilled cheese sandwich.
Happy stomach, happier heart.
