Maybe it's because I've been watching a lot of Masterchef and The Great British Bake Off over the last few days, or maybe it's because I've lost my appetite along with my sense of taste and smell thanks to COVID, but I've been hankering something tasty, which I can actually taste.
At the moment, when I do eat, I'm going by mouth feel. After a discussion with a friend last night, I wanted a smoked salmon and cream cheese toasted bagel. Eating smoked salmon is a bit pointless when you can't taste it, especially as the flavours are subtle. I remember where I was the first time I tried it - in England, on a course somewhere in the Hertfordshire countryside. I thought it was the most ambrosial stuff I had ever tasted. Living in the West of London, the bagel bakery in West Hampstead Regardless, the bagel was toasted, the cream cheese was spread and two thin slices of smoked salmon placed in the middle. Despite not being able to taste the subtleties of my favourite breakfast, I could enjoy the textures.
Or last night's snack, when hunger crept up on me, probably after skipping dinner. A toasted cheese sandwich. Of course, I can't taste anything, but there is the necessity of making a cheese sandwich, with a scrape of butter on the outside and lots of Worcestershire Sauce on the inside. Some would call this poor man's Welsh Rarebit, others would thing I'm mad, but there is something about the umami hit provided by this much maligned condiment that makes cheese sandwiches sing.
Regardless, I could only appreciate the crunch on the toast, the meltiness of and the tanginess of the cheese, knowing that this was vintage cheddar and Worcester sauce, and not boring cheese slices.
Lunch came late today after the Coles delivery. A nice man dropped off my groceries on time. Inside one of the bags was some Dari's Chicken and Noodle soup. Once headed up, I slipped in some rice noodles and a big dollop of chilli oil. Jonella makes a superior chicken soup which she calls Jewish Penicillin. This, however, does the job admirably, especially with the add ins.
Of course, I tasted nothing. I felt the nourishment. Slurping on the noodles was the best. I got the mild heat from the chilli - but there was nothing to taste. Could have been cardboard.
Then for dinner, not really being hungry, but now curious, I made me a single serve size of apple crumble. I had some apples that needed using. The apples were peeled and cored. Next, the cinnamon. Looking at my spice tubs, I knew one of the mystery spices was cinnamon - but which one? Was the darker one cinnamon, or was that the ground cloves? I ended up sprinkling on a little nutmeg and throwing in a cinnamon stick, because I couldn't be sure. Then some currants were mixed in, on which was put the topping of muesli, a bit of flour and some chopped up butter. Cooked at 180 degrees for about 40 minutes. Topped with some Greek yoghurt, I think it was yummy.
I can't tell you. This COVID has completely decimated these two senses.
I miss being able to smell my farts.
I don't know if my armpits stink.
I get pleasure from coffee, only because I know what it is supposed to taste like.
The only good thing about this is that I can't smell the stinky churro cat treats that Lucifer loves so much - or his poo. That's just as awful.
Tomorrow, I'll be back at work, thankful that I took the second day off to recover.
I have a feeling I won't be getting the sense of taste of smell back for a bit. From recollection, the last time this happened, it was back in about a fortnight. In have one unfortunate friend who's still waiting for her sense of taste and smell to return two years later after the initial bout of the crappy virus.
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