Herself has a quiet belief that the mood in which one finds oneself while cooking imparts its quality to the food that is being prepared. It's a slightly superstitious notion, no doubt. Nevertheless, she therefore finds it important to place herself into an optimum frame of mind before beginning work in the kitchen. And if an unusual item is on the menu -- a birthday cake or pie, a special dinner, a flock of muffins for a holiday gift -- extra care must to be taken to ensure that she is composed and peaceful.
For Thanksgiving, she made empanadas at the request of Beloved Husband. They are his new favorite.
She let go her worries as much as possible, and put aside thoughts about the required intense social interactions of the day. She rolled the dough carefully to ensure that the empanadas would have the requisite half-moon shape. She stirred the filling frequently so that it would not become runny, as that would make the dough soggy. She crimped the edges, and painted the crescents with beaten egg yolk to give them the right sheen. She watched the empanadas carefully in the oven, lest they burn.
They turned out fairly well, and were enjoyed by the Extended Family. That was good.
Happy Thanksgiving, all.
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