Yesterday was a very long day, literally. Daylight savings
time ended, which for most adults means an extra hour of sleep, but not for
those with young children whose biological clocks take a few days to reset.
Pinta was up at 5:39 in the morning, and there was little that could be done
about it. We were up too.
It was also a long day emotionally. A year ago, my father
died after a long bout with prostate cancer. We spent the anniversary of his
death in church upstate and then eating ham, poached salmon, and quiche with my
extended family. The death of one’s father, no matter how expected, is a
roiling event that both defies discussion and spurs expression. Yesterday,
there was a lot of reminiscing, some arguing, and an opportunity to
connect with the living. I don’t get to talk very often face to face with one
of my brothers, who lives in Pennsylvania, and I was glad to see him.
Faulkner said, “The past is not dead. It’s not even past.”
The same could be said of the dead. They’re not past. We remember them in ways
large and small. In my father’s case, it’s in small ways such as looking up the
aisle at church or watching the New York Jet’s play on the television, and in
large ways like looking up the aisle at church or finding it difficult to
plainly reveal one’s emotional state. I’ll take a stab at the latter. Yesterday
was draining.I was sad, angry, morose, and probably a half-dozen other things I've yet to articulate.
We left upstate early and returned to the house before dark.
After a quick dash to the playground for some fresh air, we headed back inside.
I started to cook dinner while the girls played. I had a pound of flounder and
a head of asparagus and a questionable lack of plans for a starch.
The best I could come up with was mashed potatoes, which for
reasons that flummox me, the girls don’t really like. I didn’t actually feel
like making or eating mashed potatoes, but I needed something to go with the
fish and the vegetables. Somehow, I thought of fried rice. I have never made
fried rice before, but how hard could it be?
There were about two cups of rice already cooked in the
refrigerator, and I had three old scallions that it would be a potentially
poisoning crime to serve anyone without cooking them first. I looked in Mark
Bittman’s “How to Cook Everything” and took careful note of one detail. He said
it would take twenty-minutes to make; less, with pre-cooked rice. I was all
set.
Nina was excited for dinner. She wanted to help make
something. The asparagus was cooking, the fish kind of takes care of itself,
and the rice was well underway. There wasn’t any easy task for her to handle.
She loves to set the table, though, and she seized on this idea. She even wrote
and cut out place cards with everyone’s name. And she and Nina loved the rice.
It was the easiest and most relaxing dinner in a long time, a perfect antidote
to a challenging day.
- 3 scallions, diced
- about a half-inch or so fresh ginger, peeled and diced
- vegetable oil
- 2 to 4 cups of cooked rice
- 1 to 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 to 2 teaspoons soy sauce
Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok.
Saute the garlic, scallions, and ginger for about a minute.
Add the rice, stirring constantly.
Clear a spot in the center of the pan and pour a bit of the egg on the surface and continue to stir.
Repeat until the egg is used up and mixed in with the rice.
Add the soy sauce.