The comfort of duck fat

The house next to ours burned today. The family lost a pet. The smell of smoke is heavy in our building, maybe less perceptibly so for others who live here, but I'm particularly sensitive to the smell of a burned home. When I was in high school, the house I lived in (with my aunt, uncle, and cousins), burned. We all survived, we rebuilt, we moved forward. But fires change you when they hit you so directly, or at least I believe they do. 


I was planning on using the duck fat from the duck I made a few days ago as part of a "breakfast for dinner" this week already, and tonight was probably the perfect night to do so. I needed something comforting, and I was also hoping for some aromas that would help mask the smoke smell. The hash browns I made certainly helped, and the loose homemade sausage pretty well sealed the deal. Scrambled eggs - purely incidental. This was no fancy meal, no gourmet effort. It was about as pedestrian a cooking session as I ever have; I can cook breakfast blindfolded (or at least I'd like to believe I can). The duck fat was pure luxury, however; simply heavenly. It's amazing how a single ingredient can so easily transform a dish.


Right now, the smells of dinner are beginning to fade, and the smells from next door starting to reemerge. I have no problem saying that I'm glad it wasn't our home, because I know perfectly well what it means for the family/families enduring the pain and shock right now. I wish I could have brought them some comfort tonight. Sadly, I don't even know them. We do know many of our neighbors, which I understand is increasingly unusual in America. That's too bad for most of us, and I consider myself lucky to have such great folks living in our condo building. Just as the comfort of a good meal can help us deal with life's difficulties, the comfort of a rich social network can ease or pain or bring us relief us when we need it most (a real network - a local fabric of ties to others; I love me some Facebook, but it is no substitute for conversation in person).


The verdict


For the food, well, the sausage was tasty, but not especially great. The eggs were hardly worth mentioning (I make a nice, fluffy scrambled egg, and I'm fussy about them, but still, it's just a scrambled egg). The hash browns were heavenly, velvety, a bit smoky and certainly rich, with just enough kick from the cayenne and sharp paprika to make us take notice. 


But tonight, it was the comfort of a family I love, and a special appreciation for my aging, deaf, rather dense, but always lovable pug that made the meal meaningful. My thoughts are with those who lost so much today, and my thanks are with the Chicago Fire Department for keeping our home safe today. I would love to go and cook for one of the stations someday, just as a small token of gratitude. 


Love your family, love your pets, know your neighbors as much as you can, stay safe, and appreciate what you have, folks.