28.5.07

Nestegg soup


Every time José sees me carefully spoon some leftovers into a freezer bag and carefully label it, he smiles fondly, the way someone might who sees a puppy bury a bone.
I don´t care, not even when he says I must have been a squireel in a former life. My freezer is my safety net. That stash of leftovers that will carry me through any situation, or almost.
Take last Sunday. We had gone to bed at five a.m. on the Saturday. The wedding revels were of the highest order, and I went into the spirit of the thing very thoroughly, even unto smoking a Cuban cigar, and drinking vast quantities of champagne.
We woke at nine thirty, and by eleven were in the family car, driving back the 541 kilometers back to Madrid.
By the time we arrived, I was something vaguely resembling a human being that was coming apart at the seams. I needed sustenance, and I needed it fast.
I rummaged around, and found chicken stock in the fridge. The freezer yielded a single portion of espinacas con garbanzos .
I put both in a pan, left the frozen lump to melt/thaw in the heating stock, added a dollop of ketchup and some salt, and went about the business of unpacking.
By the time I had untangled my tights from my heels, and sorted out the makeup from the toothpaste tubes, the soup was ready. It hit the exact spot, being hot and nourishing but not too heavy.
The siesta afterwards almost restored me to health. Two episodes of Sex&the city later, I had arrived at the stage where I wanted a hit of something more robust and greasy.
Further foraging unearthed brown bread and roast tomatoes in the freezer. The fridge had onion jam and eggs, so all that remained to be done was a rendition of these scrambled eggs, creamy and buttery.
At times like these, the last thing you want is to experiment with new recipes.
Today I am fully recovered.
(M, I hope you are, too. I think in the future we´d better stop chasing the waiters with the champagne, and let the mountain come to Mohamed)

14 comentarios:

Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) dijo...

Ah, the joys of a well-stocked freezer, refrigerator and pantry! Sounds like the perfect meal after a long night of celebration.

xps dijo...

Pero, tu te acuerdas de lo que hay, o es una sorpresa continua? aunque bien pensado, mencionaste los garbanzos en despeñaperros.

Anónimo dijo...

Oooh, you have my sympathy - wedding hangovers are *the worst*! My hangover food is eggy bread

Pille dijo...

I haven't had enough energy to party like that since my 20s - well done, Ximena! I'm keeping leftovers in the freezer as well. As much as I love cooking, sometimes I just cannot be bothered and need a fix a.s.a.p. Then I'm rummaging the freezer just like you. (I never serve leftovers to my guests, however. Just in case you were wondering:)
Also, the drawing is wonderful! The green drss looks exactly like one Hobbs dress I very reluctantly didn't buy last year.

Anónimo dijo...

Ximena,
SO glad you enjoyed the wedding and didn't melt in the Sevilla humidity!!
We made it home safe and sound and I am now back to reality...yech!
We had such fun visiting with you, and thank you so much for your advice. Hope to see you again one day!
Hugs
Heather
PS keep me posted on your adventures in Old Bay!

Jerry dijo...

Ah stocking the kitchen is always good. Oh course I often forget to stock it. Whoops!

Lisa dijo...

All of those leftovers sound perfect! Enjoyed your funny post. And mmm, Cuban cigar...

christine dijo...

Good for you for keeping leftovers in the freezer! You really never know when you'll need them for quick sustenance. :)

Anónimo dijo...

Take advantage of this page to congratulate you for your wonderful design! I LOVE IT!!

The Board of Directors dijo...

I'm originally from New Jersey, but now live in the far away land of Arizona where you cannot find any of the foods I like. So, whenever I visit the East Coast I pack a portable cooler with all the foods I like and cannot find here, and bring it with me to be placed in the freezer for those moments when I'm feeling home sick.

Paula y Simón dijo...

¡¡HOMBRE, estaba esperando que lo pusieras yaaaaa!! jajaja... ¡Besos!

LE BLOG dijo...

Nada no nos gusta nada la invitación, casi no tiene éxito; ¡¡¡¡ha arrasssssado!!!! Yo la paseo en mi bolso por doquier....

Anónimo dijo...

I've seen that look on my boyfriend's face before when I'm stashing pickled things in the fridge. I know he thinks I'm crazy, but he puts up with it because he knows it makes me happy. Men are so good like that.

tammy dijo...

You know I'm a fan of your espinacas. Never thought to freeze them, though! Sounds like a happy recuperation.

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