Tales from the muse 👁 Early Morning kitchen teaching.
I once went to buy fried yam and plantain from the akara woman near my house in Abagana and some customer before me had complained that the fried yam was dry so before I left, she quickly sliced up an onion and half a chilli into a bowl then added a ladleful of oil from her akara wok into the oil. It boiled on impact and she stirred it then spooned it over my yam and plantain. It tasted great. Decades later, I still haven’t forgotten that gesture. These were my thoughts as I stood in my early morning Christmas kitchen, peeling potatoes and carrots for Christmas lunch,
Why am I doing this alone?
I almost asked but the quiet hum of the refrigerator stopped me. It had stayed up all night quietly preserving the Yule log desert while my son walked in and soon, the washer tossed and turned his load of laundry, reminding me that the dryer was only silent because it was broken. I mix up butter with garlic and thyme for the turkey and melt it in the microwave oven then pour myself a drink. I sit down near the radiator. I’m not alone and though it’s almost silent, I’m in good company. Potatoes almost done, my daughter walks in. She grabs a peeler and sits down like she used to at carpet time in nursery school, wearing her red Mickey Mouse tee shirt, she picks up a potato. I’m counting my blessings as my son walks in again. My daughter's at uni, where did all the years go? The chilli and onion sauce becomes a side dish beside the gravy. Merry Christmas friends, family and followers.
Don’t forget to eat.
Why am I doing this alone?
I almost asked but the quiet hum of the refrigerator stopped me. It had stayed up all night quietly preserving the Yule log desert while my son walked in and soon, the washer tossed and turned his load of laundry, reminding me that the dryer was only silent because it was broken. I mix up butter with garlic and thyme for the turkey and melt it in the microwave oven then pour myself a drink. I sit down near the radiator. I’m not alone and though it’s almost silent, I’m in good company. Potatoes almost done, my daughter walks in. She grabs a peeler and sits down like she used to at carpet time in nursery school, wearing her red Mickey Mouse tee shirt, she picks up a potato. I’m counting my blessings as my son walks in again. My daughter's at uni, where did all the years go? The chilli and onion sauce becomes a side dish beside the gravy. Merry Christmas friends, family and followers.
Don’t forget to eat.
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