Blank Pages and Bonsai and a Year of Less with More Curry

All things need pruning. Today it was the bonsai juniper, and in the quiet snipping meanwhile, sap-full fragrant bits of myself tumbled into the pile of bright green castaway clippings. The new year will be new whether or not we make it new, and after the tunnel passage experience that was the last week of my fifth cycle of godawful poisoning in the name of therapy, when the sun hit my face at long last, the brightness found less to light up. Less hair, less plump around my cheekbones, less curious certainty.

What cancer takes away has no shape. Still, I collected all the shorn scraps of juniper from around the exposed roots of my funny twisted trunk and put them in a glass; now and then, I raise the glass and take a swig of the scent of loss.

It is time to write again, I think. Ghost Paper makes these journals perfect for sketching and writing with embossed lines, faint enough to follow and faint enough to ignore. The new year is always the best blank page.

After chemo, I remain ravenous for curry and spice. Last week, I ate this delicious meal from neighbors every day. I imagine my insides bright with turmeric—sun for another sad tunnel.

Indian Curry from Mary Kelly and Bert

1 large onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 slice fresh ginger root

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

½ teaspoon ground cardamom

1 (1 inch) piece cinnamon stick

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

2 bay leaves

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

6 skinless chicken thighs

1 (14.5 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed

Place onion, garlic and ginger in a food processor and process into a paste. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add onion paste and saute, stirring continuously, for about 10 minutes.

Stir in the cumin, turmeric, salt, pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves and nutmeg. Saute, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes. Place chicken pieces in skillet and stir them around with the spice mixture until they are well coated.

Saute for another 4 minutes, then pour in the tomatoes with liquid and stir. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 to 2 hours, or until the oil has separated from the liquid. Stir occasionally. Mary Kelly says this is very crock-potable, and I imagine, insta-potable as well. I Love My Instapot by Aileen Clark has 175 options for making dinner under twelve bucks!

For the little ones interested in curry, check out this fabulous subscription service Lil’ Gourmets –the sweet potato curry was my absolute favorite!

(yes! This baby food is worth snacking on for adults, ha). But our little Midcity taste test queen Clark loved them too. When you buy their food, they donate meals in Chicago.

Also the homeopathic cold and flu season products from Hylands are great alternatives to put up a gentle fight for all the viruses floating through the winter air.

All hyperlinked products have been sponsored.