Hank’s chicken and rice dish from NYT Cooking

I wish this meant a vacation from covid, but, alas, no.

We had a half day of school on December 23, I spent the next day finishing a Bûche de Noël to bring to Christmas dinner at our friends’ house, but I woke up on the 25th with a sore throat. Fortunately we had bought some rapid tests a while back, and I tested – positive. My husband tested negative (PCR tests the next day confirmed these results), and we immediately set about figuring out how to divide the spaces in the house to try to keep him from getting it. So far, so good – fingers crossed.

We are very grateful, and we know how lucky we are. We had both already had boosters, and it has been a very mild case for me. And though I had great plans for trying new recipes and making all sorts of goodies for friends and family over the school vacation week, those plans went out the window when I primarily took the upstairs areas, and my husband downstairs. Fortunately I had already sent off a care package of Christmas treats to my daughter-in-law’s parents.

I am most grateful that I have not lost my sense of taste! And my husband has been cooking up a storm (links included for many of these dishes). Although he calls upstairs with plenty of questions, he has kept me well fed, so I could have the energy to fight this off. The first night, our friends with whom we were supposed to enjoy Christmas dinner dropped off a delicious main course for us, and Hank sent them home with pieces of the Bûche de Noël. He made a wonderful sausage ragu which we had for a couple of nights. Then he decided to make a chicken and rice recipe from the New York Times cooking app, which gave us a second night’s dinner wrapped in flour tortillas. Since half the package of tortillas was left, he grilled a marinated steak for fajitas another night. We’ve also had brined (link also includes a rhubarb compote from the Berkshire Farm Table Kitchen cookbook, scroll down for the brine recipe) and grilled pork chops, and a baked maple-butter glazed chicken (also from NYTimes) that he likes to make.

He’s been working so hard, but not to worry – he’s got a list of things he wants me to make over the next month or so, including cassoulet (we usually make half of this recipe) and ragu al cinghiale. And I will be more than happy to get back in the kitchen once I am all better!

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My Covid Vacation