Aside from reading and writing papers, I kept myself distracted and occupied by making things. I created a ginger bug and fermented Tepache that I made cocktails with when my partner came home from work, he was considered an essential worker. I received a sourdough starter in the mail and learned how to make sourdough bread (more or less). I ordered loads of tortillas and masa to make tamales from Tortilleria Nixtamal to make my favorite Mexican comfort recipes: ceviche, Caldo de Pollo, and even tried to perfect one of my favorite Oaxacan snacks, tostada de chileajo. I bottled up flights of agave spirits and conducted blind tastings with friends. And did Instagram Lives with and about Pisco, the Instagram Lives made it feel like you were hanging out with people half the world away. We did grocery orders in March, but by the time April hit and hospitalizations soared grocery deliveries were weeks out. The Instacart app was a little frustrating since Wegman’s, like most grocery stores, got low on supplies. A shopper replaced our coffee beans with decaf and from there on out, I went to Food Town in small bursts to get what we needed aside from tortillas.
Kami Kenna. Prospect Lefferts, Brooklyn, NYC. 3/16/2020