MountainMornings

First of all, happy birthday to Freddie Mercury today. Queen’s indomitable frontman would have turned 65 today, and thank you Google for reminding us all. But let’s talk about another queen. Over this past holiday weekend, my lovely daughter the Bride celebrated her very first wedding anniversary by working a night shift in a very busy ER. She responds to many names: Doctor; Darlin; Magoo; and of course when I would recite her full name in response to teenage angst. And somewhere along the way to adulthood, she became the Queen of Stir-Fry.

I remember the first time I cooked a meal for my parents. It was Welsh Rarebit – a can of tomato soup with melted cheese and toast points. They were returning home from a big banquet and gallantly forced themselves  to eat. We laughed later about this innocent offering, a play on grilled cheese and tomato soup. And I remember the first meal the Bride made for us, the wok was chockful of fresh veggies and tofu. And whenever she’d return home for school vacations, this was a go-to, quick fix meal with anything left in the refrigerator, and she became the expert. A pinch of herbs, a dollop of fish sauce, and a star was born.

I recently bought a smaller wok, the better to stir-fry for two. So when Bob said he’s got okra ready to harvest in the garden, I pulled that baby out and started chopping. Stir-fry is so simple and so good. It makes any vegetable taste better. Here are the rules: use canola oil (olive and peanut oils tend to smoke and take away from the taste); start with garlic and add the tomatoes and pea pods last so they are crunchy; season with fresh herbs and soy, peanut  or fish sauce. If you look closely, you’ll see the tiny rounds of okra!

I still miss my daughter in the kitchen.

A year ago the weather suddenly changed, the drenching humidity blew away and the sun was shining on the new couple. We celebrated their marriage under a tent in an apple orchard. This is what it says on my Mother’s 1954 New Settlement cookbook – “The Way to a Man’s Heart.”