Made brown rice & cauliflower sushi to bring to a gathering… really had to overcome my fears to actually RSVP yes. Then began to think how to serve what the host asked me to bring “starch” COVID style. This “starch” actually ended up probably not being “starch” or “carb” as this version of sushi was 30% brown rice; 30% roasted cauliflower; & rest finally chopped veggies roasted – topped with chopped fresh herbs and parsley (could not find nori) and chopped nuts. Instead of one heap of chirashi, this time I decided serve in his/her cups – individually topped with garnish. No one needed to serve in this help-yourself style.
The host adhered to all safety precaustions:
1. Seating 6ft social distance around a big table
2. Mask worn except when eating and drinking.
3. She served every plate so there was no shared serving utensils.
4. She kept the party small – our pod of only 6 …seated around and away from the central table with feasts – low lying so we can see each other over the table.
5. And most appreciated that we were in the great outdoors ！
6. Wish we each had a mat though. Another appetizer could have been a sweet yoga time … to whet our appetite while strengthening our resolve to find small joys even at times of great uncertainty.
Virus, thunder and lightening, mountain fires, hundreds of people fleeing their homes, grim economics if not for S&P but for our main streets where so many small businesses are struggling. What’s next?
Resolved that I will do my little part to bring joy to others. Like these friends who took the time to feed us and shared …a supper and stories. So tired of zooms and screens – May we return to simple pleasures of seeing in person friends and I love pot lucks. Pot lucks!!! Dreaming of pot lucks! Everyone with roof over our heads and safe in the true sense of that word. We can’t individually be safe until everyone is.
It’s back to wartime like sacrifice where we will pactice all safety precautions in a personal level, so we will overcome this period of pain to … come out on the other side of the curve – maybe by Spring 2021?
Then … we will have our potlucks and kids will be back in school. How we took things for granted. Simple pleasures of gathering, sharing … hugging and talking and laughing loudly without caring about airborne droplets.
Those days will come back. We will have that potluck.
Then.