Today’s post is the 3rd of “I eat, I read, I watch,” my monthly column highlighting one of my solo dinners and my reading or Netflix accompaniments. Please treat yourself well - dine! - at mealtime too. You’re worth it. And it’s not hard to do. Missed the first two instalments? Click #1 and #2.

I eat: Shrimp Red Pepper Bisque

So what do you do when you have some people over and you’re left with half a platter of shrimps poached in wine, onion, garlic, and lemon juice? And you’ve saved the poaching liquid? Well, how’s about a shrimp red pepper bisque?

I started by chopping up a decent-sized red onion and getting it sautéing in a little olive oil on medium-high. As the onions cooked down, a chopped red pepper and a couple of mini-yellow ones join in. Finally, in went a chopped heirloom tomato from my garden. I don’t worry much about my knife technique - this is all going to be blended anyway. I added the poaching liquid, put a lid on it and started pulling shells off the shrimp. Poaching residue of lemon zest, onion, and garlic joined the pile of shrimps and the whole lot goes into the pot, with a shot of sriracha, and the lid on. I gave it a few minutes and then got the immersion blender out. I can live without a lot of kitchen gadgets - instapot, air fryer, microwave, and food processor didn’t make the cut when I moved to my small house - but I cannot live without an immersion blender. I gave a good couple of minutes of whirling. I don’t mind a little texture. Again, not a kitchen perfectionist! I turned the element down a little and contemplated adding a little cream. With a lot of lemon, curdling was a big risk. I Googled how to avoid it and learned (relearned?) that heating the cream separately first will solve the problem. So I did. I ladled a little into a soup bowl, sprinkled a little Parmesan on top, plated a few chips to accompany it, and grabbed a can a Perrier. With a table cloth, my laptop, and a bouquet of fall flowers, this made a perfect dinner. Bon appetit!

Prep Time:  30 mins.

Cost:  $5? If that.

Tell everyone about your creative repurposing! In the Comments below please!

I read: Glamour and the Hostess (for real!)

“Glamour and the Hostess” is a favourite of mine among so many good books that made the move to Chandlerville when I downsized. Subtitled “A Guide to Canadian Table Setting,” it’s the Chatelaine Institute’s best advice on how a Canadian hostess can “set her table for any occasion with every assurance of success, not only in the artistic appearance of the table but in the correct service of the meal.”

I Googled this gem only to discover that it’s priced at $175 USD on one website - had I known, I might have kept it out of the kitchen where it’s sure to have picked up the odd grease residue over the years! But no, it’s nearby for those times when you just can’t quite remember which direction the dessert spoon goes, what glass shape is used for Madeira, or what to serve at a  rumpus room party. (In case you’re curious, it seems hotdogs are acceptable, but only with cloth - ideally plaid - napkins.)

It’s an artefact from a previous time, but honestly, one I value. It’s not long ago that having a meal actually meant something more than just fuelling the body. That’s the message this series is attempting to convey.  So use up all those serviettes, paper plates, and plastic cutlery and don’t replenish your stock. You deserve better. And so does the planet.

Got a reading recommendation? Add it to the Comments below.

I watch: Series, including House

Netflix just keeps feeding me scads of suggestions for new stuff but I can’t help but gravitate to the tried and true. And I love watching a good series. It reminds me of the first few months Jack and I were getting to know one another as we binged through Six Feet Under, him for the first time, me for the fifth. We built community between us, learning we shared a dark and twisty sense of humour and weren’t spooked by death. Important and prophetic as it turns out. Or the early part of the pandemic when I hunkered down with the rest of the wired world and watched Tiger King, the wacky documentary about nasty people who keep wild cats. That connection to the Tiger King watching community on social media made me feel less alone.

Sometimes, though, it’s the long relationship with the characters themselves that creates that sense of community. In 2024, I’ve become enmeshed in the lives of the good doctors on House, a show I never watched when it was in first run, but one that keeps my attention on nights when nothing else does the job. If you haven’t watched it, give it a whirl! The trippy internal organ sequences are a bit unnerving but you can avert your glance as necessary.

What’re you watching? In the Comments below please!

If you like what you’re reading, there is no greater compliment than to become a subscriber. Sign up below with your email address to receive an email with my weekly blog.