Cooking brunch in quarantine

W42ST Daily 5/12/2020

If the definition of insanity is doing the same thing repeatedly but expecting different results then, hello, my name’s Ruth Walker, and wrap me up in a straitjacket and throw away the key.

Because last weekend, I went back into the kitchen in an attempt to cook something delicious that wasn’t scrambled eggs. But this time, I had a guide.

Meet Matt. An Australian transplant, we’ve been friends since we both landed in New York more than five years ago. He has extravagant tastes in hats and shoes and weird memorabilia that once belonged to his favorite Hollywood divas (the latest additions being a battered, well-used hip flask and ugly ceramic duck from the estate of Elizabeth Taylor).

But perhaps one of the most useful and interesting things about him is that he is a cordon bleu-trained chef. We’ve talked about cooking together-but-apart since the start of lockdown, and it finally happened on Saturday.

We made shakshuka. It wasn’t a complete disaster. And this is what I learned.

1. Read the recipe Ruth! OK, I know this should go without saying, but in my haste, I may have misread 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper for 1 teaspoon. It’s just as well I really enjoy that feeling of having my lips seared from my face like Angel of Death scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark. So no harm done.

2. Pro tip: yogurt (or any dairy) will help counteract the extra spice and cool things down a little. Phew!

3. Check the lid of the spices BEFORE turning the bottle upside down to measure it into the spoon. Unless you’re OK with all that extra cumin.

4. Cooking really does mess with your appetite. By the time we’d both finished, we were no longer hungry, so threw the whole thing in the fridge for dinner and opened a bottle of wine instead.

To celebrate the start of our beautiful cooking relationship, he’s started an Instagram account. You’ll be able to see the results of our adventures on @alittlenewyorkkitchen most weekends. And please contribute your favorite recipe ideas. Let’s see how spectacularly I can screw them up!

DISHING IT UP DAILY
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STILL STRUMMING
Why the Naked Cowboy is still playing his patch in Times Square … and why he believes this could be the greatest moment in his career. Read his story at w42st.com.

HOW’S HOME SCHOOLING WORKING OUT FOR YOU?
Sure you love your kids. But I’m guessing you didn’t sign up for this. And, with school buildings closed until at least the end of the academic year, it’s going to be a very long summer indeed. You have my eternal admiration and sympathy. Share the load, friends. Tell me about the challenges … and the joys … that come with remote schooling. And if you have any hot tips, don’t keep them to yourself, kay?

DO THESE THINGS
Correction
Oops! I got the details of Jillian Richardson’s morning accountability sessions wrong. Here’s the correct information: it costs $50, with 20% of proceeds going to the National Suicide Prevention Hotline. Commit to getting up here.

Make some noise
Sorry, parents, it’s sounds and props week at the New Victory Theater’s Arts Break. That means you’ll have chance to create sound effects from underwater, scary scenes, and more all week. Raid the kitchen cupboard here.

See socially distant art
The Al Hischfeld Foundation has launched a virtual art exhibition of the artist’s work. Entitled “The Solo Show As Seen By Hirschfeld,” it’s a collection of 25 drawings, paintings, collages, and prints that document a half century of one-person shows, and include Henry Fonda as Clarence Darrow, Julie Harris as Emily Dickinson, and Robert Morse as Truman Capote, among many others. Browse here.

Be OK about living in your sweats
If it’s fine by Tim Gunn, it’s fine for you. Take a listen to this fabulous NPR interview with the dapper dresser making peace with being comfortable. Thanks to Matt Wagner for bringing this one to my attention.

Go to the Globe
We’d have been looking forward to Shakespeare in the Park right about now. But in the absence of live theater, The Globe is streaming some of its most celebrated productions. Right now, you can see its 2018 production of The Two Noble Kinsmen, here.

See some timely theater
Diana Quick plays Judy, a mother trying to talk to her daughter online. Judy calls from Islington; her daughter is in Palestine. The Donmar Warehouse’s Midnight Your Time premieres tomorrow, and was recorded via webcam in Diana Quick’s home during lockdown. Watch here.

See Michael Urie as Will Shakespeare
The Bard is reimagined for the COVID era in Frankie and Will, MCC’s one-act play in which Shakespeare is trapped inside with his unpaid apprentice. What better time to write his next great masterpiece? If only he had an idea… It’s free to watch tomorrow.

Take tea with Marina Abramović
Every Thursday, gallery impresario Sean Kelly takes tea with one of his favorite artists. This week, he’s supping chamomile with performance artist Marina Abramović. Get the kettle on and tune into Instagram live at 3.30pm.

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