donuts

Last year, after waiting in line at a trendy new donut shop, my brother, younger niece, and I walked home with a box of gourmet treats to share with the rest of the family.  I had chosen a blueberry fritter—the only vegan option they had left—and it did not disappoint.  It was worth the long wait.  Because I could not justify eating two donuts in one day, I took the extra fritter home with me to enjoy in the morning.  I relearned that it’s Seize The Day when it comes to donuts: the next day, the fritter wasn’t even half as good.  I haven’t figured out where yet, but I’m sure this formula can be applied beyond fritters.    

Like many people who travel, my vacation memories include good food.  On a trip to New Mexico in 2012, MAC was recommended an authentic French bakery near where we were staying in Santa Fe so we picked up treats to take with us on a day of hiking in Bandelier National Monument. 

I have a vivid memory of biting into a beignet after climbing multiple ladders to a cliff dwelling in the park.  The beignet was fresh and delicious and the sky was bright blue.  Food and place.  I cannot separate the two in my mind.

We picked up more treats from that French bakery but our meals were the local cuisine.  I made the mistake the first night of asking our B&B host for a Tex Mex restaurant recommendation.  I got a disdainful look and a brief description of the uniqueness of the area’s food.  I learned quickly to ask for my burrito “Christmas” so I wouldn’t have to decide between the delicious green and red chili sauces (New Mexico is all about chilies).  The trip was eight years ago but, without looking at a diary, I can easily come up with memories of where we ate—I won’t remember what I ate necessarily (it was probably a burrito), but I have many happy memories of food goodness in specific locations.  MAC had commented during the trip that the food she was expecting to be hot (as in spicy hot) was still not hot to her.  I remember the restaurant we were at in Santa Fe where she finally admitted the dish was hot enough.

MAC and I won’t be travelling on another adventure together anytime soon.  But as of today in Nova Scotia, we’re at no known active cases of COVID-19.  Masks are mandatory inside public places.  A two-week quarantine is still required when entering from outside the Atlantic provinces.  I’ve been thinking: 1) have a game plan ready for being social outdoors during the six-month winter—like scheduling twice-weekly physically-distanced hikes (or snowshoes) with friends and 2) while the province is low-risk and the weather is good, get out and do more*—like I did Friday, eating lunch and catching up with a friend on a restaurant patio.  Basically, I’m encouraging myself in more Carpe Diem before winter, or a second wave lockdown, arrives.

*With appropriate physical distancing and mask wearing.

References and related links:

• MAC: mon amie Caroline.
• Beignet: basically a French donut.
• Bandelier National Monument, New Mexico.