The Best Way to Eat Yogurt, Shrimp Rolls, Hephaistos

Good morning, it’s Wednesday already! Not a whole lot to report. Yesterday, I went for a bike ride; listened to the first episode of this crazy new podcast; started Season 5 of The Wire; and read a chapter in a book about Tolstoy (!) that Andy is editing and obsessing over. This photo is from last week when we decided we needed to eat frozen prepared Italian food around a backyard fire pit. As much as home cooking has saved me these past few weeks, it felt good to shove a block of cheesy pasta into the oven and press a button. Here are three things for your Quarantine Wednesday…

Pantry: Yogurt with Mango & Pistachio

I haven’t been to NYC since March 12, and wow do I miss it. Even things I once dreaded, like taking the packed 4 train to Brooklyn, I find myself sentimental about. This is especially true for restaurants, of course. And every now and then, I’ll think of some special place, then say a small prayer while I google to see if they are surviving. One of those is Moustache, where for decades we ate lamb pita “pitzas” and raisin-almond-and-chicken ouzis and honeyed-mango-pistachio yogurt for dessert. (Whew, they are still open, doing takeout.) I could never recreate the pitzas or ouzis at home, but the yogurt? That one is easy: I just top full-fat Greek yogurt with chopped mangoes, a drizzle of honey, and shelled pistachios. Works just as well for a healthy snack or breakfast as a dessert. It’s not exactly the same, nor do I really want it to be, but I’ll take it.

Project: Shrimp Rolls

Over at Cup of Jo today, I wrote about my favorite Summer Signifier, i.e. the Shrimp Salad Roll. I like mine lighter on the mayo, and with lots of dill, lemon, and a dash of horseradish. So so good. Head over there for the recipe.

Purpose: Hephaistos: God of Fire!

Right about the same time as I started this blog (in 2010), George O’Connor published Zeus, the first in a series of graphic novels devoted to telling the back stories of each of the Olympian gods. OG Dinner: A Love Story readers will remember that Phoebe, then 8, became instantly addicted, and that volume kicked off an obsession with Greek mythology that lasts to this day. (Next year, when she heads off to college, she’s considering a minor in Classics.) Last week, Hephaistos, the 11th of a projected 12 volumes, arrived in our house, and I just love how she’s grown up with the series, always looking forward to the news that the next one is on the way. An experience that is decidedly the opposite of bingeing on Love is Blind on Netflix. (Though I do hear that is insanely addictive, too.) Anyway, if you have any budding mythologists in the house, check out the series.

Stay safe.

The goal of the Project, Pantry, Purpose series to keep us sane, distracted, and connected. Please continue to comment below with suggestions for recipes, projects (for kids and adults), good deeds, donation ideas, stories, movies, games, puzzles. Or just tell me how you’re doing, what your daily routine is, and especially how DALS can help you or people in your community. You can also email me directly at [email protected].