14 February Tuesday

I know many people have a hard time figuring out what to cook for dinner each night. I advocate planning beforehand, but more importantly, not overthinking the subject. The irony of overthinking things is the more we overthink, the less information we believe to be in the brain. If I am trying to think really hard about what I want for dinner, I will forget about what ingredients I have, how much time it will take, and focus on what I am trying to want. Take, for instance, last night. I was restless, confused, and didn’t know what I was “in the mood for”. I scoured books and looked online, and thought yes! yes!, only a few minutes later to be discouraged and contrary. It’s the trouble with being overly inspired- too many things to get excited about. I did the only thing I could in such circumstances. I took a walk.

I went to Duc Loi, the local grocery store to buy a roll of paper towels. I was strolling down the produce aisle and saw some big fat leeks and thunderbolt! Thunderbolt thunderbolt! I suddenly recall a bag of potatoes sitting around doing nothing. I rushed home.

Within the hour I was enjoying a hot bowl of Leek and Potato soup. This soup is the first recipe in Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking because she believed it exemplified the essence of French Cooking. It is incredibly simple with very few ingredients, and the result is so amazing, so unexpectedly complex you’d never think it had such humble beginnings. Leeks, potatoes, butter, water, salt, pepper. That’s it. Cook it all in a pot till it’s done, then put it through a food mill. If your food mill didn’t survive the holidays, as mine didn’t, then use an immersion blender. No regular blender and no food processor, they make the potatoes gluey and gross.

Smooth, creamy, earthy, and very slightly smoky. Cheap. Delicious. It was dinner last night. I’ve said before and will surely say again, we put too much emphasis on mood for food choices. I wasn’t in the mood for Potato Leek Soup last night, and it didn’t matter. I let the food make the choice for me. Great idea. Try it.