New York Magazine - USA (2020-03-30)

Eat a Lot

On March 23, we returned to some of our

favorite contributors to the “Grub Street Diet”

33 and asked for a one-day dispatch.

SAMIN NOSRAT and

HER CONGEE and COOKIES

upon waking up, I took my antidepressants—always crucial but

especially so these days. Truth is, I haven’t been eating the way I usually

do since the stay-at-home order started. I haven’t zeroed in exactly on

what is different, but I don’t feel all that

excited about eating. For breakfast, I made

a milky, cardamom-y cup of coffee, sat in my

heated garden chair, and watched a pair of

titmouses (titmice?) work on the nest they’ve

been building in my garden. After someput-

tering, I walked a few blocks to see my friend

Elazar Sontag, who just got back to Oakland

from Brooklyn. He posted that he had madecookiesandleftthemout for

neighbors on his stoop. I sat at the bottomofthestepswithmy dog,

Fava, and Elazar stayed at the top whilewehada check-in.I grabbed

a cookie to eat at home—gluten-freeoatmealraisinwitha big,melty

piece of chocolate on top.

I talkedtomy podcast co-host, Hrishikesh Hirway; took a nap;triedtowatchSt.Elmo’s Fire

(goodmusic,badmovie); and decided to heat up some of yesterday’sbakedbeans(whichwere

essentiallyhalfbacon). I spread them on a piece of toast and atea Persiancucumberanddrank a

hugeglassofwater alongside it all. I worked in the garden some moreandthen,asit startedto get

cold,cameinsideandmadeapotofsobatea,whichis sowarminganddelicious.Fordinner, it was

apotofcongee.I madeabigbatchofchickenstocklastweek,but

sinceI havea tiny fridge andfreezer,I’d reducedeverythingbyhalf

tosaveonspace.I mixedfourcupsofstock,fourcupsofwater,and

oneanda halfcupsofKokuhoRoseshort-grainriceina potwith

someslicedginger, a fewclovesofgarlic,a generouspinchofsalt,

anda splashoffishsauce,andI let that simmerforaboutfourhours.

Inthemeantime,I realizedI wasoutofpeanuts,soI tookFavafora

walktoget some.I boiledabunchofbroccolinifromthefarmers’

mark tha sidet ng ichI toppedwithcilan-

tro,c an pedt d p.

PHOTOGRAPHS: COURTESY OF THE SUBJECTS

64 new york | march 30–april 12, 2020