Reflections on Cooking at Home

The first thing I made at home during quarantine was a replica of my favorite dish, Pad Kee Mao—or “Drunken Noodles”—from the Thai restaurant near my campus.  I tried to bake and fry the tofu the way they did, to chop the vegetables the same way, and to concoct the sauce with the right balance of sweet, savory, and spice.  The noodles weren’t quite the same, but I was pleased with the result, though my mom was dissatisfied with too much fish sauce.  My mom, dad, brother, and I all ate it together, with my dad home after continuing to go to work during the quarantine and my brother at home after finishing his first week of online school. And then there was me, eating the dish and wanting to be back at college.  I wanted that dish to bring college home with me.  Some of it came back, maybe, but not all of it.  

The next dish was what my mom deemed a labor of love: The New York Times’ Tomato and White Bean Stew.  It was warm and filling but not too heavy for spring.  I prepped all afternoon, roasting the tomatoes and methodically picking leaves of thyme from their sprigs.  It was a relaxing act, maybe even therapeutic, and I loved taking the time to prepare and cook the dish.  That it was a hit with my family was just an added bonus.  

Among other dishes, I attempted a few versions of pasta: cauliflower Bolognese, a standard fresh pomodoro sauce, and a spicy lentil sauce in an attempt to include protein without meat.  The pomodoro was a hit, but the Bolognese was a little off, both because my family is not a fan of chunks and because I realized it’s hard, if not impossible, to replicate meat with vegetables (vegetables in their own right are better).  But the lentils succeeded – the pasta had a lot of kick and the lentils were soft enough that everything came together smoothly with rich flavor. 

The lentil pasta was the last meal I made before going back to where I’ll be staying for all of summer and fall.  Besides the daunting prospect of not seeing my family until Thanksgiving, when I left I was also scared of what cooking would now look like – would I have to cook all the time?  Would meals still be such a communal event?  Or would I be eating by myself?  But I found that my housemates also genuinely enjoy cooking and sitting down for house dinners each night.  They whip up scones, cauliflower tacos, lentil soups, and strawberry shortcake and I have been left spoiled, feeling like I should cook more.  But I’ve been able to contribute, so cooking together, sitting down to eat and having lively discussions have all preserved what I miss most about home.

I made the lentil pasta again last week and it was good, but it wasn’t the same.  I had used canned lentils instead of dry and they did not combine with the sauce as well as they had at home.  Despite some difference in texture, the flavor and spice were still there, and the presence of fresh basil still completed the dish.  The meal was like living with new people – some aspects are different, but the overall taste, the joy of sharing food remains.  During these uncertain times, I have appreciated the certainty of preparing and eating a meal with those closest to me.

By Katie Hoover

Student at Dartmouth College and lover of clouds, sauce, and all things green.