Food & Wine

Photos Courtesy of Nancy Pannikkat
Nancy Pannikkat has been treating the Mountain View/Los Altos online community to news-themed cocktail recipes as the shelter-in-place prolongs and political figures give her more and more material to work with.

Creating community and finding ways to connect with her neighbors were already on Mountain View resident Nancy Pannikkat’s mind before the shelter-in-place orders took effect nearly two months ago. Then, the forced distancing spurred her to action.

Pannikkat took to Nextdoor, the neighborhood-based social networking site, and began sharing pandemic-themed cocktail recipes, dubbed “quarantinis.” Since she started, Pannikkat has posted more than two dozen cocktails and received numerous replies from local residents.

Megan Winslow/Town Crier
Los Altos’ Farmers Market, reopened for the year as of last week, offers an opportunity to put your children to work. Bring home ears of corn and shelling peas, set out big bowls in the yard, and introduce them to the meditative practice of preparing dinner for themselves.

The world of social eating has been knocked off its path: shifting laws and health regulations, grocery logistics that could feel like a game when they aren’t a nightmare. The Town Crier has been reporting on local efforts to address food insecurity for the growing number of families whose income and food access points have been undercut. For resources and ways to help, follow our continuing coronavirus impact coverage which includes profiles of a range of local organizations mustering food and volunteers.

Tracking the (mostly online) food conversations happening locally and nationally, there are still moments of pleasure amid the anxiety. I can’t offer you solace for the lost company of the larger world, but I do have a pandemic-specific roundup of new eating experiences to consider, at home and in support of the eateries you hope to enjoy again in person one day.

The Haus Citrus Flower aperitif

As a companion to our reporting on neighborhood quarantinis, Town Crier wine columnist Christine Moore sent a bulletin from her shelter-in-place sommelier activities in Mountain View: She’s been making a cocktail she’s calling Shelter in “Haus,” which features a California-made aperitif (learn more at drink.haus). Aperitifs are comparatively low in alcohol and loaded with complex botanical flavors, ready to sip alone or with bubbly water, and great in a cocktail with strong spirits.

Shelter in ‘Haus’

Courtesy of Christine Moore

A comforting Italian-inspired stew draws on interchangeable pantry staples.

Thank you for reading this article – we are connected through the conversation that takes place on the pages, both web and paper, of the Los Altos Town Crier.

Should you choose to make any of the recipes I share here, we’ll be connected through our cooking, too. These dishes are on repeat in my home. Odds are good that your family and mine might sit down to the same meal one evening. That’s a relationship I’m very grateful for as we all test how we can connect in a time of isolation.

Courtesy of Blanche Shaheen

Los Altos resident Blanche Shaheen recently published her “Feast in the Middle East” cookbook, which features recipes including Samak bi Tahini, above.

My “Feast in the Middle East” journey began 10 years ago when I wanted to re-create one of my favorite dishes from childhood, the dramatic Palestinian dish of Maqlouba. This Middle Eastern specialty is a massive rice “cake” flipped upside down to reveal steaming roasted chicken, fragrant rice, fried cauliflower, caramelized onions and roasted chicken inside.

Photos by Christine Moore/Special to the Town Crier

Lighting can create tranquility and set the perfect mood for an intimate night. A candlelit dinner or conversations around a glowing fire are two cozy lighting options for Valentine’s Day.

Hygge (pronounced hue-ga) is a Nordic notion of cherishing the comfort of home and togetherness through the cold, dark months of winter. By nesting indoors and taking time to enjoy the simple things in life, the Danes use stormy weather as an opportunity to grow in closeness with loved ones and friends.