Work has been brutally kicking my ass lately, which is one of several reasons why I haven’t been updating as often as I’d like to.
It’s literally been so busy that it hurts; to the point that I’ve found it’s exacerbating an ulcer I’ve had on and off for nearly 10 years. For the past few months I’ve been working on a huge project that takes up all of my time (and then some) and I live the project, eat the project and sleep the project. It’s kind of exhausting. Every couple of days I’ll be at my office and some coworker or other will tell me how I look like shit lately. Well, duh! Of course I do!! I’m running myself ragged and not sleeping because of how worried I am over whether it will all get done. And the funniest thing about it is I’m not even working as a project manager anymore, so I’m really not accountable for the success of what we’re doing, but I just can’t turn it off, per se.
Of course, after a tough day at the office the last thing I want to do is stand around and cook for an extended period of time, but since the Everyman doesn’t really cook, that doesn’t leave too many options, otherwise. Especially when I’m trying not to do takeout or delivery more than once or twice a month.
So, what’s a mentally drained peon to do? Come home and whip up a sriracha-laced, crumb-topped, roux-thickened cup ‘o mac and cheese, of course.
And, it wouldn’t be complete without a sweet, refreshing glass of Gerwurtztraminer on the side, either.
Having wine with homemade mac and cheese isn’t all that different from having wine with a glass of plain old pasta with parmagiano sprinkled on top, is it? Or the classical pairing of the wine and cheese party? This one’s just a little more fancy-meets-lowbrow, is all.
Not only do the fat and starch soothe my savage, overworked heart, but they also provide the immediate pleasure of performing (and getting lost in) a repetitive task. Grate, grate, grate goes the cheese. Whisk, whisk, whisk goes the roux. Sprinkle, sprinkle, sprinkle goes the panko. Then, nom, nom, nom goes foodie & co. when the finished plates of oozy, gooey gloop materialize before them.
KD it ain’t, that’s for sure!
And while my stress level and 2 week old tension headache haven’t managed to subside, for a few hours I felt the sweet release that comes from warm, homey, comforting food and obliterating alcoholic beverages.
And sometimes, that’s the best you can ask for.
Until next time…
Tags: cheese, comfort food, Cooking, Gerwurtztraminer, macaroni and cheese, pasta, ramblings, rantings, sriracha, wine
