My Comfort Food

This post is dedicated to a piece I did for my magazine writing course. My comfort food. The photos were not included in the paper for the course, but I figured I would add some visuals for the blog version! Enjoy!

Everyone has their comfort food. You know, the food you eat when you are tired, or sad, or don’t feel good, or just need a pick-me-up. Most people’s comfort food is probably something standard, like soup or mashed potatoes. Something easy, hot, and, well, comforting. My comfort food is a little outside of the “standard” spectrum.

            The butter is already in the saucepan, melting away into nothing. Water is almost boiling in a big pot on another burner. The ingredients are set out and ready to be mixed into a delicious meal. I take a step back as I’m waiting for the water to boil, and begin to grate the Parmesan cheese into a bowl. It is more difficult than you would think, and as each piece falls into the bowl, the aroma fills the air. Is this water ever going to boil? Once the cheese is grated, about a cup and a half altogether, I sprinkle some Garlic Salt into the saucepan for some flavor. A-ha! The water is boiling so I toss the linguine in, and watch as it begins to swirl amongst the bubbles popping at the surface of the water.

            Next in the saucepan comes the heavy cream. I pour enough in to cover the surface, and whisk it together with the butter. The butter and the cream battle for a moment, light yellow and ivory mixing together furiously. The cream always wins. Once the liquid begins to thicken, I slowly mix in the Parmesan cheese, letting it melt away into the sauce. For a moment, specks of un-melted cheese can be seen scattered about, and then they are gone.

            The pasta is done now, so I pour it into a strainer in the sink. Steam is everywhere. The strainer slowly becomes visible, and the hot delicious linguine is ready for a bowl. I mix in the Alfredo sauce, making sure to get every last drop onto the pasta, and mix them together. The linguine is coated in a perfect ivory sauce. The entire kitchen smells wonderful. I am brought back to Italy for a moment; I can envision the small winding alleys of Venice. Hear the street vendors selling ceramic masks, and wine glasses clinking inside restaurants. Smell the fresh pasta being made in every direction. It is comforting.

            “Ooh that smells delicious! Can I have some?” I am brought back to reality by my roommate. We sit together at the small dining room table, and indulge in my comfort meal together. 

Beautiful Nantucket

Polpis Road winds in front of us as we head towards the Lifesaving Museum to park. It is a beautiful day out, with a nice breeze and the sun shining overhead. As we get out of the car, my dog Lucy bounds down the drive towards the main road; she knows exactly where we are going. We walk down the road until we come to the sign that says "UMass Field Station" and take a left. The road is dirt for a little while, and then on the right it splits off onto a path. The path is windy, and has some steeper uphill parts to it - a good workout. Lucy's black and white fur contrasts against the green of the grass and the trees. She can be seen darting in and out between bushes and trees, running ahead to explore the smells of nature. 

As we continue on the path, the scenery continues to change. We come out of the wooded area, and are greeted by a magnificent view of the harbor. There is a ledge to the right, covered in flowers, and an entire field of flowers to the left. Needless to say, Lucy has a field day jumping in and out, exploring like a lion on the savannah. 

The great thing about the UMass Field Station is the wide variety of scenery. After leaving the ledge overlooking the harbor, the beach comes into view. There are rocks, and scallop shells everywhere. The sand is nice and soft, making it somewhat difficult to walk, but the view and the fresh-air make it impossible to complain. Further down the beach, the path comes back into view and winds its way along a series of small, marshy ponds. Lucy splashes in and out, chasing rocks into the water that she knows she will never find. 

At the end of the ponds, there is a LOT of mud. We try our best not to step in it, but inevitably I end up stepping right in the middle of a very sticky spot. The mud sticks to my shoes, creeps up over the edges, and threatens to take my shoe right off. Luckily, I notice my shoe slipping and curl my toes to keep it on. The scenic part of the walk ends, and we trudge back down the long dirt road, and find ourselves back at the Lifesaving Museum. Lucy is happy, and thirsty after our adventure. The walk was absolutely beautiful, and the early fall breeze made it perfect. 

Relaxation

The new school year has started. The summer was hectic, and the school year looks as though it is going to be just as insane. Classes are busy, the weekends are full, internships have started, a job is (hopefully) in the making, and somewhere in all that craziness, we college students need to find the time to relax. I myself get stressed when I feel like I'm not getting anything done, even if I seriously need some relaxation. This is where knitting comes in. 

Knitting, to me, is extremely relaxing. There is nothing stressful about knitting, especially if you do not have a deadline for the thing you are making, or if that deadline is very far away. This summer, I took up knitting again for the first time in a while, and have fallen in love again! The needles move seamlessly together, yarn looping around them and creating row after row of beautiful stitches. 

The beauty of knitting is that anyone can do it. I personally know only the basic knit-stitch, but I still really enjoy doing it. AND you will never need to buy another hat or scarf again! Trust me, it may seem like a grandmotherly activity, but knitting is perfect for college students with hectic schedules and so many different things to keep track of. Take up knitting, I promise it will relax you and keep you warm this winter!