As I recount my life in isolation, Wise Madness is becoming even more of a music and food blog than usual. I’m writing this while watching the Kennedys streaming on YouTube. I get great music and time with friends at the same time. Of course, it makes it hard to concentrate on my writing but oddly I’m busier than usual and so much multi-task. Most people are much worse at multi-tasking than they think they are. As I am aware of that I figure I suck at multi-tasking just like everyone else.
Let’s get food out of the way as I had something special for both dinner last might and brunch this morning. Last time I went to Stop & Shop I they had duck legs. I have never seen that before; only whole ducks. A whole duck is too big for me, a drumstick and thigh is perfect. Those are my favorite parts. I googled how to make it in an air-fryer and saw that it’s much easier and faster than in an oven. It took just 30 minutes. The only prep was rubbing it with kosher salt. I made roasted potatoes with it and put them in a tray below the duck so that the fat dripped on them. That’s not a good dinner it’s a great one. If they get them back in the store before Pesach it’s what I’m going to make for our virtual Seder. That’s other big news. I always go to Sylvia and Lewis’s Seder. This year we had to not gather so we are having a virtual Seder via Zoom. I won’t get to hug friends and family, but I’ll get to see talk to them all while eating my favorite food. As Eric Idle said, “Always look at the bright side of life.”
My roommate brought back challah, so I made French toast this morning. I have been making it with chocolate chip brioche, which is amazing, but nothing beats challah. I had it with sausages and scrambled eggs. Here’s a tip I read; most people think of French toast as an egg dish, but chefs consider it a milk dish. Mix a lot of milk it. It makes the finished product so creamy. That’s not too surprising. I of course use real maple syrup. I have no idea why but coffee tastes even better than usual when I drink it after eating French toast. I know that it seems impossible for anything to taste better than coffee usually does. If I didn’t love French toast I’d eat it just for its effect on coffee.
I watched so many streaming concerts yesterday I’ll probably miss some of them. Unfortunately, Amy Speace and Abbie Gardner streamed at exactly the same time and will do so again next week. This week I watched Amy, next week Abbie. Niall Connolly was on the same time, but his show went on longer, so I caught the end of that. Joe Crookston put on a spontaneous live concert from his porch. He called me to ask me some logistical questions as he wanted to stream. An hour later he was doing it. This had a socially distanced live audience. He put it on speakers and his neighbors watched from at least 37 feet from him and each other. You could still hear the live audience. That is so Joe.
Later in the night I watched without a break, Jess Klein & Mike June, Miss Tess & the Talkbacks, and Rainbow Girls. I couldn’t watch all of any of them as there was overlap. Jess and Mike are married and when I posted the show I got echoes of Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash in my brain so now I think of them as Klein & June. That’s extra weird for me as I never call either by their last names. I probably have mentioned this before but even though I’ve known Jess over 20 years I always want to call her Erin. I have no idea why. It’s not like she’s Irish. My brain works in mysterious ways.
My guess is that the name least familiar to My Gentle Readers is Rainbow Girls even though they have more Facebook likes than all the others put together. They are an incredible West Coast band that I only know because Maggi Landau presented them at last years American Roots Festival at Caramoor. They are very special, and all my people need to know them. None of my friends were watching the show except for the one that found it because I posted a link to it. He thanked me for turning him on to them. You’ll thank me to. If any of the names I mentioned are unfamiliar to you, you should check them out.
I have been trying to phone a friend every day not to help me with Who Wants to be a Millionaire but to keep in touch for all my friends in far flung places. Yesterday I didn’t have to call anyone as I got a call from Katrina and the aforementioned call from Joe. I’m keeping in closer contact with my friends now than when I go could out and see them in person.
I’m listening to Ceol na nGael on WFUV now. It’s being plague-hosted by Maura Monahan and Maggie Dolan as Ryan and Patrick the usual hosts are students and not allowed on the Fordham Campus. Those are friendly voices too.
Wise Madness 