Sometimes the repetitive nature of the domestic life just gets to me. Some days I feel like if I have to wash one more load of laundry, or plan one more meal, or pull one more weed, I will simply have to indulge myself in a drooling, babbling, nervous breakdown. It’s not that I don’t have a work ethic, but I just get tired of doing the same things ALL THE TIME. And since Andrés isn’t here, I can’t foist tasks off on him, either! Luckily my mother-in-law has proved to be quite amenable to being foisted upon.
I’ve completely lost all motivation to cook these past few weeks. I think it’s partly the repetition issue, and partly the lack of an appreciative audience; my mother-in-law is “dieting” so she doesn’t really want me to fix anything interesting for dinner, even if it’s low-fat. I did make polenta, lamb stew and cranberry-orange bread last week, to take to a friend who’s just had a baby. And turkey tacos with guacamole for another friend who came to visit for a few days, but that’s been about it.
Ooh, but I finally bought one of those Microplane graters and I was absolutely blown away by how well it grated orange peel. It is my new favorite kitchen tool. I'm not holding a grudge against it for grating away the top layer of one of my fingernails. My fault for grating too enthusiastically.
I do have some plans to do some cooking in Spain. Maybe the sea air will revive my appetite, and seeing my husband after three weeks will revive my spirit. Last year I made Mexican food for Andres’ extended family and it was a huge hit (even though the “taco seasoning” was, in my opinion, vastly inferior to what you can get here – it had paprika but no real chile powder as far as I could tell). So today I brought home some food items to pack since you can’t get them in rural Spain: chili powder to take to season the taco meat, some graham crackers and canned dulce de leche for a dulce de leche cheesecake, and cranberry juice to make Cosmopolitans which have nothing whatsoever to do with Mexican food but which my MIL and FIL have taken a liking to. It occurs to me that when you start packing food to take to foreign countries, you have a problem. And when you start typing up recipes to take along, you have a serious problem. And when you consider packing your new Microplane grater, and start thinking about how you will impress the Spaniards with your superior margaritas flavored with finely-grated lime zest, you should probably be committed.
While I'm on the topic, here's a recipe for what I think is the Best Margarita In The Whole World, from Rick Bayless' Mexican Kitchen, a book anyone who loves Mexican food should own:
Frontera’s Gold Margarita
Makes about 4 cups, serving 8
1 2/3 cups Cuervo Especial gold tequila
¼ cup plus 1 teaspoon Gran Torres orange liqueur
OR ¼ cup Gran Marnier (Cointreau is good too)
1 cup water
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, about 2-3 large limes
Finely grated zest of 1 ½ limes, about 1 teaspoon
5 tablespoons sugar
Lime wedges
Coarse salt
1. Steeping the margarita mixture: Mix the tequila, orange liqueur, lime juice, lime zest, sugar and 1 cup water in a glass or plastic pitcher until the sugar dissolves. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours (but no more than 24 hours). Strain into another pitcher.
2. Finishing and serving the margaritas: Rub the rims of 8 martini or other 6-8 ounce glasses with a lime wedge, then dip the rims in a dish of coarse salt. Refrigerate the glasses if desired. Serve the margaritas either straight-up or on the rocks in the prepared glasses.
9:33:35 PM 
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