NEEDLING

Making vegetable stock for... probably soup tomorrow or the next day, or just to drink straight after refrigeration. Feeling a little blue, so I melted a large white onion and a crushed garlic head, the skin still holding on for dear life, in some rattling olive oil. When the time came, I slapped in a little Islay Scotch whisky to give it a little air of seaweeds, something closer to home than anything else I could find in Texas. Whilst doing all this, I’ve been sipping on a glass of sherry, the extra dry kind... the blues is on the radio, the smell of garlic and onions, the slight mist of seaweed and ocean front smell added on to some Andalusia fortified wine... all this put together, it’s bringing my spirits back up, letting me know though I’m far away in the Texas hill-country – winter time walking around with my shirt wide open, like my front door and all my windows, humidity making the joints in my fingers swell... and my dog is sleeping on his bed... – that possibly I can think a good beautiful though whilts making vegetable stock. I don’t know why, really. It’s just that I wanted some of these smells around me to take me in. I wanted everybody all around, every fucking house surrounding mine to smell like garlic and onions boiling in Islay Scotch! Two leeks followed suit real quick, which I covered with some water to bring to a rolling boil – ain’t that how they say it in the fancy smanchy recipe books? bring to a rolling boil, keep it there for ten minutes, then bring down the flame and let simmer for half an hour – so I did just that, except I only went around the block for ten minutes keeping a steady wooden spoon in the pot making sure nothing stuck to that cheap pot I bought... and in came the sliced sweet potato – I am in America after all! And somewhat of an American as well – a sliced white potato, too watery this kind, not starchy enough but I don’t seem to find any proper potatoes in my grocery store... some left over fresh spinach leaves I hadn’t gotten around to eating, and a large dash of salt. I’m making vegetable stock. I don’t know why, it’s just that I was feeling a little blue and I needed some of them smells to lift me back up. Maybe after refrigerating this concoction tomorrow... I’ll make me a vegetable cocktail?