It’s January- a new year and a new decade. I guess that deserves some acknowledgement, or at least it’s probably a good time to take stock of things and make some goals? The lead-up to the new year would have also probably been an excellent time to post something, anything, on this blog, or on Instagram, alongside the rest of the world doing recaps of the 2010s. But instead, without thinking, I was just kind of doing things I felt like doing and, I guess, taking some time for myself. Letting myself sleep in more, not worrying so much about fulfilling arbitrary obligations I’d created for myself, and generally just being nicer to myself.
I have, for most of my life (and I think it’s been pretty obvious on this blog), been the type of person who is always hustling, always working towards something and always beating myself up for not working hard enough, or succeeding enough. A neurotic overthinker with a major anxiety problem who really never enjoyed the moment I was in. I think a big output of all of that has always been writing, from journaling to sharing stories here. It just feels good to get the stuff swirling around in your head out into the world. Last year was one of my most challenging yet, and around the middle of the summer I really fell apart in a way that was scary but also necessary. And then I was able to rebuild, almost from scratch. I put some new techniques and exercises into practice. I started taking some medication that has cleared my head of anxiety for the first time since I can remember. I started to be able to enjoy the moment. And I started going easier on myself.
I’m on a great trajectory, and I’m so much happier. But an odd result of all of this is that I’ve felt less compelled to write and share. I guess it’s a function of being less introspective, because I’m still cooking like crazy and taking photographs and enjoying that like I always have. So I’m not sure what that means, but I don’t want to give up on this blog. It might evolve, and I still need to figure that out. But I want to try and integrate it better into my new way of doing things.
January is usually a time when people like to do things in the extreme. No alcohol! Whole30! Hitting the gym every single day! But in the spirit of being kinder to ourselves, here is a soup that will make you feel very cozy. If you make it for someone else, they’ll feel cared for. It’s one of my favorite things I made in 2019 and I think austere January is the perfect time to eat it, even if it does not fit into any diet plan that I am familiar with.
So here’s to moderation in 2020, and loving ourselves more fiercely and enjoying all the little moments along the way with a little more enthusiasm. I think it’s going to be an excellent decade.
Ingredients
- 1 (1.5 lb.) bunch collard greens
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 bacon slices
- 2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced (about 5 cups)
- 4 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 lb. smoked ham hocks, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup (2 oz.) bourbon or other whiskey
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 8 cups cold water
- 4 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup lower-sodium soy sauce
- 12 oz. uncooked instant ramen noodles, cooked
- 4 large hard-cooked eggs, peeled and halved
- 8 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
- 2 teaspoons shichimi togarashi
Instructions
- Using a sharp knife, remove stems from collard greens. Cut leaves into 2-inch squares (about 14 cups), and rinse in cold water.
- Heat olive oil in a 4-quart stockpot over medium. Add bacon; cook until crisp, about 10 minutes. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain, reserving drippings in pot. Crumble bacon, and set aside.
- Add onions and garlic to hot drippings in pot, and cook over mediumv, stirring often, until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Add ham hocks, and cook until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes, turning ham hocks every 45 seconds. Add bourbon and vinegar, and cook, stirring and scraping up browned bits on bottom of pot, until liquid is reduced by half, about 30 seconds. Add 8 cups cold water; bring to a simmer.
- Add salt and pepper to soup. Add collards in large handfuls, stirring each addition until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes, before adding next handful. Return to a simmer; cover and cook until collards are tender, about 1 hour.
- Remove ham hocks; cool slightly. Pull meat from bones, and chop meat. Discard bones and skin.
- Divide soy sauce evenly among 4 serving bowls. Ladle 1 1/4 cups liquid from cooked collards into each bowl. Divide noodles evenly among 4 bowls, and stir noodles twice in broth to combine.
- Top bowls evenly with ham hock meat, collards, eggs, bacon, scallions, lime wedges, and shichimi togarashi.
Notes
https://www.thekitchenchronicles.com/2020/01/07/collard-greens-ramen/
