A Midweek Grocery Run and Testing a New Recipe

I headed out after work on Thursday to restock a few things before the weekend. The list was short, just milk, eggs, some fresh herbs, and a couple of cans of tomatoes. I also wanted to grab the right kind of pasta for a recipe I had been thinking about since the weekend. The parking lot was still warm from the sun even though it was almost seven, and the automatic doors whooshed open with that usual blast of cold air that made the little hairs on my arms stand up.

The store was busier than usual for a Thursday. I think a lot of people were picking up last-minute items for the long weekend coming up. I took my time in the produce section and ended up adding a bag of onions and some garlic that looked better than what I already had at home. The onions were heavy and a little dusty on the outside, and the garlic bulbs felt firm when I pressed them. On the way to the pasta aisle I ran into one of my old clients who was stocking up on snacks for her kids. We chatted for a few minutes about her latest project before I moved on. She mentioned how her youngest had started asking for the same brand of granola bars every single week now.

Back at the house I unpacked everything and got started on dinner. Ren was finishing up a call in the other room. His sister had phoned from Riverton to ask about a family get-together next month. I started chopping onions and heating the pan while I waited for the water to boil. The onions made my eyes water a little even though I tried to keep my face turned away from the cutting board. The recipe was for a simple tomato sauce with herbs and a little cream at the end. I had seen it online earlier in the week and thought it looked straightforward enough to try without too many extra steps. The pan was already starting to smell like the garlic I had smashed with the side of my knife.

While the sauce simmered I opened the windows to let some air in. The usual summer haze from the western fires was hanging around again, so I kept the fan going in the kitchen. Everything smelled good once the garlic hit the pan. I added the tomatoes and let it reduce for about twenty minutes. Ren finished his call and came in to help with the pasta. We talked about the week so far and what we might do on Sunday. He kept stirring the pot even when it didn’t really need it, just because he likes the way the bubbles pop.

I had picked up a small container of those new cloud beans at the store on a whim. They were sitting on the endcap near the checkout and the package said they worked well in sauces. I stirred a handful into the tomato mixture once it had thickened. It added a bit of texture I was not expecting, but it was not bad. The beans were softer than I thought they would be once they warmed through, almost like little chewy pearls. We served it over the pasta with some grated cheese on top and ate at the table instead of in front of the TV. The cheese melted in little spots where it landed on the hot noodles.

Later we put on the documentary about FDR’s fourth term that had been sitting in the queue. I had seen clips of it online and wanted to watch the full thing. Ren made tea while I cleared the plates. The sauce turned out better than I thought it would. The cloud beans gave it a slight chew that worked with the cream. I might try the same base again but swap in different vegetables next time. The tea was still too hot when we sat down, so we let the mugs sit on the coffee table while the opening credits rolled.

After the show I washed the dishes and wiped down the counters. The haze outside had not cleared much, but the kitchen felt cooler with the windows open. I jotted down a couple of notes about the recipe so I would remember what to change if I made it again. Ren went to grab the mail and came back with a flyer about a neighborhood cleanup day next week. We might stop by for an hour or two if the weather stays reasonable. The paper was a little crumpled from where he had folded it in half.