28 September Wednesday

I have a little day dream to share. Whenever I want, I imagine that I have been elected President of the United States. For no reason of helping humanity or leading a nation or knowing the codes, I want to be president because I would get to choose a kitchen staff to prepare my food, I’d get to choose menus and tell people what I want to eat and serve. I think it must be one of few things over which the Office has complete control.

I would sit patiently, thinking very carefully what is best to eat when leading the free world. I would impress the chefs with my sophisticated palate, my knowledge of nutrition, my desire to set an example of good eating, and my eccentric loves and hates (no cheese in my pepperoni roll!). One of my secret service retinue would know “the code” (my order at Taco Bell).

When asked what I’d like for breakfast on a typical morning, I’d say Chicken Noodle Soup. My team would look at one another and think, well, he’s the President, and then they would keep their mouths shut. I think soup is highly underrated as a breakfast food. My Korean friends often enjoy kimchi soup for breakfast, and the Chinese like Congee, why not Chicken Noodle for America? It is restorative, filling but not rich, warm and full of vegetables, and it’s not too flavorful a food for early in the morning. It’s actually great for people who don’t really like to eat anything when they first wake up, like me. I’m gonna have some early mornings when I’m President, that’s for sure.

There’s another reason I like this fantasy. It seems whenever a POTUS leaves office, there is a special camaraderie between them and the chefs. It’s like, you’re the only people that ever treated me. We never had to argue. You made this more pleasant, more fun. Remember that failed peace accord? That Senate no vote? Who brought me that Peanut Butter Ice Cream Sundae with Caramel and Fudge sauce?

I made a pot of this magic elixir today. Chicken Noodle Soup, that is. I always, always keep frozen homemade chicken stock in the freezer. It should be well-skimmed, so that when you reheat it, it is golden colored but completely clear. I am also a fan of under seasoned stock, because you get a better flavor when you salt the soup as you’re making with it. I was at home today, so I put the stock on very low heat. I added finely chopped celery, carrot, and thyme and cooked it slow for ninety minutes or so. Then, I added diced raw chicken breast, cooked for twenty minutes (the low heat keeps the chicken from getting chewy). Then, I ate some. It is very good, thyme only, don’t gunk it up with rosemary, or worse, sage. It was so good, I forgot about the noodles. But if you do want them, remember little bopkins, to cook the noodles in a separate vessel and only as many as you are going to eat NOW.

No word from Bevelyn.