Newness–Week One



Newness, Week One


Highlights from the first week of my newness challenge...


Day 4

*    I took a different street home last night, riding through the heart of the city instead of on the "heartless" bike trail which trailed after cars. The "heart" was still throbbing with students drinking outside of a joint fused with an old city gate (what would the old architects think of that!), pedestrians walking home, people twisting their pasta on a restaurant plate...

*    I ate at a student's house. It was nothing new (rice and vegetables), a part from the splash of white wine that I don't usually get to sip with lunch. It was my friend and her son's company that was extraordinary because I normally eat alone.

Day 5

*    I made a new recipe. (I've been doing that a lot lately.) The aroma of coconut mixed with curry...out of this world is the only way I can describe it, totally filling my senses...The taste of slow cooked chicken with spices and zucchini was so satisfying that my tastebuds continued to tingle, but I saved part of it for another day. Mmm...chicken and curry...I'm sorry, but it's better than pasta. Italians would be affronted by this statement I think.

Day 6

*    New recipe again, like many in this period: Cantonese Rice with shrimp instead of ham. It was lovely cooking with my partner in the middle of the day. I boiled the rice and let it cool. He cut and fried the onion, carrot, and the peas. Then, he added the boiled shrimp and fried egg prepared in advance. (The egg was truly like restaurants make it, just strips and not too scrambled–amazing!) I don't know how my partner did it. He said the secret was in not moving it too much in the pan. Lastly, we added the rice and voilà! Marvelous!

Day 7

*    Talking to my mom on the train (even though we kept breaking up!)

*    Going to another city on a Thursday

*    Having a cappuccino and cake in a park which I had been wanting to do for a month

*    Seeing a movie in a cinema on a Thursday (The Buena Vista Club–wonderful and poignant.)


Photo: @jcomp

Text: Kristen Mastromarchi


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