Change is inevitable. Fear of the inevitable is a mindset.

Photo Credit: Kimberly Olson Fakih via Instagram @podunktearoom

Change is inevitable. Fear of the inevitable is a mindset. This is my mantra this month as I face a world that is opening up, change the only constant. As I face my own mindset about all of these changes, not allowing fear to be the main undercurrent, I am applying this shift in mindset in the kitchen. This might seem like a strange place to face down fears, but for some, it is the place where fears may be as synonymous with the humming of their own refrigerator. Granted I don’t find cooking all that daunting, but there are dishes that I have yet to try to cook, much less master.

When I think about change being inevitable, I can’t help but reflect on the impending empty nest as my son leaves for college. This is a change that does bring about fears. Yet I am determined to change my mindset on this change. With this imminent change, I am viewing my time in the kitchen a little differently. I imagine as I go back to cooking for just two, what I cook will change along with the obvious change in proportions. 

One of my favorite cookbooks was written by Judith Jones, the editor who worked with Julia Child. After the death of her husband, she found herself cooking for one, finding herself adapting old recipes for a single portion. 

One of the best recipes in that book, which I imagine myself cooking quite a bit once I am cooking for two, is Steamed Egg(s) Nestle in a Bed of Greens:

A few handfuls of greens. (Any greens will do)

Salt

I tablespoon of olive oil

1 garlic cove peeled and slivered

1 or 2 large eggs

Freshly ground black pepper

Heat a large saute pan with a tight-fitting lid with olive oil. Add slivers of garlic. Before garlic browns, add in the greens. Stir fry for a minute. Add ½ cup of water. Make indentations in the middle. Crack eggs into the indentations. Season with salt and pepper. Place lid and allow eggs to steam. Serve immediately with some crusty bread.