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Day 33: Scratch that Itch

Today was a good day in Distance.  I felt cheerful and productive.   I did a quick grocery shop for us, and also picked some up for a friend who has been avoiding stores for health reasons.  At the same time, I dropped her a mask, which she exclaimed was "quite chic, actually!" That felt good.  It's still pretty surreal to drive around the city, streets almost completely empty.

Italian Sub and Two Bean Salad
A couple of weeks ago, we watched a delightful Bon Appetit test kitchen episode where chefs made their favorite sandwiches.  Ever since, I've been craving an Italian sub.  Rather than just step out to the deli, it required accumulation of the right ingredients over a couple of weeks. Tonight--after my yoga and Jeff's guitar lesson--was the night! I found this take-and-bake Italian loaf last week at the little neighborhood organic market, and its "pantry ready" vacuum packaging got my attention. Apparently it's a Seattle company, and I'd totally recommend it. It turned out to be the perfect vehicle for a stellar sandwich: Genoa salami, pepperoni, provolone, shredded iceberg lettuce, shaved red onion, pepperoncini, and oil/vinegar/oregano dressing that soaked into the warm, crisp but soft bread.  Success.
I wasn't ready to commit two cans of beans to a side dish, but had some green beans whose time had come.  When combined with Jacob's Cattle Beans, celery, thinly sliced red onion, and fresh dill and parsley, the dressing pulled together a tasty two (not three) bean salad.  And what is more Pandemic-ready than heirloom canned beans?  They were large and creamy, and kept their shape as I stirred and re-stirred the salad over a couple of hours to fully marinade it.

Saag Paneer and Chana Masala
The Indian cooking from the weekend made a nice lunch.  Aarti's saag paneer recipe is one that I usually follow to the letter.  It's flavorful and fresh, with yogurt instead of the cream that you'd find in a restaurant.  A much better choice for every day.  But this time, we had the last bottom of the carton of cream from Jeff's birthday cake.  Before it expired, I sneaked it in to the pan, and we were not disappointed!

And we have the first repeat dinner of the Pandemic: Manjula's chana masala, as described on Day 10.  Yum!

Oatmeal
The last of it, with raisins, cranberries, and yes-- more coconut!


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