Syringa vulgaris

The third week of May is when my depressed, alcoholic nation turns into a bunch of sentimental romantics. The lilacs are blooming. Their lush fragrance overwhelms and manages to transform our bleak, Northern souls.

May 1958 in Montreal: You’re struggling to adapt to a strange new city in a strange new land. You don’t have a lot of hope, but you have a Joe job, and a boyfriend who could be Elvis. He snaps off a lilac branch for you as you stroll through Westmount. And you know he’s The One.

May 1982 in Riga: Life is grey. There are drunks sleeping it off on every second park bench. Brezhnev will rule forever. But the air smells like heaven. So you snap off a couple of lilac branches in the park and present them to your favourite old auntie. She’s smitten and twenty one again.

May 2002 in Valois: It’s an old house with a garden full of heritage plants gone wild. As usual, you have bitten off more than you can chew, and have taken on the massive job of pruning the neglected lilac hedge that surrounds the property. You’re hot and sweaty and exhausted from hauling tree-size branches to the curb. But you’re compelled to offer a fragrant bouquet to every lady walking home from the church on the corner.

You’re a hero! Sentimental romantic, that you are.

Risotto ruminating

When the boss from hell has made your day memorable, come home, make risotto.
All you need, for four generous servings is:
a bottle of red wine
olive oil for frying
a smallish onion, or two shallots, chopped fine
1 cup Arborio rice
1 liter of chicken broth
a small bunch of asparagus, woody ends snapped off, cut in 3cm segments
350g shrimp, raw and peeled
Pour yourself a glass of red wine and get on with things, refill as needed.
In a heavy saucepan, brown the onions in the olive oil. Pour in the Arborio rice and stir a bit. Add a third of the chicken broth and stir while the rice and onions bubble away. A hypnotic figure eight motion works for me. When the rice has started to absorb the broth, add another third of the broth.
Stir, stir, stirrrrrr...
Or not.
Stir once in a while, while you peel the shrimp and cut up the asparagus. Stir once in a while, while you set the table. Stir once in a while, while you tell the telemarketer to get lost.
But the therapeutic benefits of stirring are the big reason for making risotto.
So stir, stir, stirrrrr....
Add the last third of the broth.
Just before you would think of adding more broth, add the asparagus. When you would add more broth, if you had it, add the shrimp. When the concoction is soupy, take it off the heat and let it sit for five minutes. The whole stirring process should take about twenty minutes.
Serve it on plates and eat it with a fork, or go the comfort route and serve in a bowl, eat with a spoon.
There, don’t you feel better?