Homage to Catatonia

Sleep, chicken soup, and ungodly quantities of echinacea at the onset of symptoms have done it again. I appear to be hale today. Though possibly the lowball of scotch had a hand in it as well, now that I think.

Fridge Raider's Fast Chicken Soup

In a largeish pot over medium heat, melt a generous tablespoon's worth of butter, and add a couple dashes of chili oil. While the butter melts and begins to fizz, chop up a generous handful of baby carrots into 1/8" slices. Toss carrots into the fat and braise while chopping up two stalks of celery, cut lengthwise, into fine slices. Add celery to fat, and stir the lot. Take a large handful of peeled garlic gloves, mash with flat of cleaver, chop up coarse and add to the rest of the braising veggies. Stir. When the carrots just start to brown, add 2 cans chicken stock (or equivalent homemade if handy). While the stock warms up, chop fine and add: half a bunch of chives, half a bunch of chilantro, 2-3 green onions. Toss in the remainder of a bag of frozen shrimp, and a half bag of Trader Joe's frozen Thai Shrimp Gyoza. Heat, stirring occasionally, until Gyoza are warmed through. Taste and add chili oil to taste. Serve with crusty bread, crunchy beer, and the last few episodes of Sports Night. Serves two, but the dog will be shorted on her share of gyoza.

Lately I find that I really prefer soups that have been cooked just to heat through rather than to cook the living blazes out of the vegetables. I really like the brightness of flavor with greens that are still green and celery that retains some crunch. Still, it's really the Thai gyoza and the chili oil that made this soup.

Edit: Obviously not all hale, though. Title edited from "In Praise of Catatonia" to the actual George Orwell reference I'd intended all along.

Muses

In the wake of Capclave, I am alive to the need for more hand-made music in my life. I need to sing more. kate_schaefer and I have been muttering back and forth about pulling together a group to sing together informally, and I should start sorting logistics on that. Also hunting locals who play intstruments and want to play along. In the meantime I've just ordered a cheap but plausible electronic tuner for my guitar(s), in hopes of taking out one obstacle to getting back to practice and learning. What I really want is to be a guitar god like pnh or Rick Avedikian, but I've got thirty-odd years of catchup to do first.