Endings and Beginnings
Photograph by Ellen Cosgrove
“Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end”
Semisonic was on to something.
By now the fanfare of the holidays has faded and we are left with depleted bank accounts and already failed resolutions. It feels like it is back to reality. But there is also a sense that we have a chance to begin again and that perhaps the challenges that came with last year ended at midnight of New Years Eve.
Our lives are full of beginnings and endings from the very moment we are born until our last breath. Whether it is graduation parties, baby showers, weddings, or funerals, we honor these moments with special gatherings and delicious things to eat and drink.
Even the beginning and ending of a meal is a ritual in itself, with the transitions that we take for granted. Whether you begin your meal with an aperitif or end it with with a salad, each culture has a certain way of creating the experience of the meal.
We approach each beginning in life with hope and frankly try to avoid the ending. Alas, one cannot exist without the other. We all know those moments where our excitement of the impending adventure matches the sadness of the current chapter of our lives ending. At each junction, we are both anticipating and mourning.
So what was that strangely delicious casserole your mom made when someone had a new baby? Does a certain dish remind you of your wedding day? Do you start special meals with an appetizer and always end it with something sweet? Or is there is a drink that reminds you of the beginning or end of a certain era in your life?
Since leaving my job in the non-profit world I have been in a sea of transition. Mourning the end of my old identity and who I thought I was and at the same time dreaming of what I could be. It is both devastating and incredibly exciting. One of the many ways I have been supporting myself financially at this time of transition is working a few nights a week at a restaurant. Though, it is a good reminder that I do not have a future in hospitality (I love slow nights) it has taught me a lot about people and food. It also has provided me with an endless supply of basmati rice that would normally be thrown out at the end of the night. I love taking food that could be at it’s end and turning it into something new and delicious. Shall we say giving it a new beginning (wink, wink). And fried rice has become a real staple in my repertoire of weekly dinners.
Fried Rice
When life gives you leftover rice, make fried rice!
3 cups of leftover rice
2 Tbsp of canola oil (or other high heat oil)
1 onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
red chili flakes (or a hot pepper, chopped)
chopped vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, carrots, green beans, kale, frozen peas…you get the idea)
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
3 Tbsp soy sauce
hot sauce (to taste)
1 Tbsp oyster sauce
1 egg
salt and pepper to taste
1) Cook onion in oil with chili flakes until it begins to get soft, then add garlic (be careful not to burn!).
2) Add vegetables and cook (make sure to add veggies like broccoli or carrots before greens since they will take longer to cook). Then add rice and stir well. If you need extra moisture, add a little water to rehydrate the rice.
3) Add vinegar, soy sauce, hot sauce, oyster sauce and stir well to coat the rice and veggies.
4) Push rice and vegetables to the sides of the pan and crack an egg into the middle of the pan. Use a fork to stir (almost beat) the egg while it starts to cook. Then mix with the rice to incorporate the egg in the whole dish. Cook until the egg is completely cooked.
5) Check rice for seasoning and add salt, pepper, hot sauce and soy sauce to taste.
6) Enjoy!
*If you want to use any meat or seafood, cut into small pieces and cook first. Then take out of pan to cook onion, garlic and chili flakes. Add back in before you add the sauces and egg. Yum!