1. Avoid those local bar election get-together drinkathons. Sit with a pet, at home, on the comfy couch. Enjoy wine.
2. Or, go to the forest, desert, mountains. Turn off the TV. Reign in compulsive internet-checking.
3. Take a warm bath. Read lightly.. camping catalogues and the giant book of Dog Breeds will do.
4. Cook yourself and a loved one a delicious CALM CASSEROLE. Here are your ingredients:
medium yellow onion, diced
touch of olive oil
two cloves garlic, minced
one cup of great northern beans (like white kidneys)
one block firm tofu, drained and squared
one pepper, sliced.. try a sweet yellow/red bell, or a roasted pasilla
6 or 7 small corn tortillas
two cups green or red enchilada sauce, either is fine (see how MELLOW this is? nice)
cumin, red pepper flakes, chile powder, apple cider vinegar, tapatio, lime, salt and pepper to taste.
plain yogurt
one or two avocados
Enjoying your wine? Oh.. also, you should put on some music. NO TV. NO NPR. Soul collections and various string quartets might be nice. But NO KRONOS.
Heat the oven to 400. Put a cast-iron on medium, and sweat out that onion in a little olive oil. About 5 minutes. Toss in the garlic and brown for a moment. Add tofu cubes, douse in cumin, chile powder, tapatio, salt, pepper, and a little apple cider vinegar. Turn the heat up a bit and let the tofu soak up the flavor for a few. Add beans. Turn off heat. Take out a potato masher or pastry cutter. Mash beans and tofu together till chunky but not totally incorporated. Country-style. Throw in peppers. Add lime juice, more salt and pepper to taste, and perhaps some additional ACV or red pepper flakes.
Coat the bottom of a 7.5 x 11" glass baking dish (or whatever kind of casserole pan you have lying around.. no biggie) with a cup of enchilada sauce. Lay down two or three tortillas to completely cover the bottom. Add the filling, spread it out evenly. cover with some more tortillas. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the top, douse completely. Do you like cheese? Grate some sharp cheddar over the top or sprinkle on some cotija. Bake that sucker for 30-40 minutes, till you see everything bubbling nicely up from the bottom. Cool for 5-10 minutes. Garnish with a blop of plain yogurt and sliced avacado. Serves 3 or 4.
Ok, now you can do a little check to see how the FATE OF THE WORLD is going. Just for a sec.
Feel better? Good. Or, you can always go vision-quest style and do the anagram of Calm Casserole: consult your Mescal Oracles, but I wouldn't reccommend it on a night like tonight. Better to save it for New Year's!
ed. note: i am
