Lorraine Eaton

Lorraine Eaton writes about food and spirits for The Virginian-Pilot. Look for her stories in www.hamptonroads.com/flavor

Category: Food

Cook with sunshine, without dying!

Sep 08

8:41 AM

Yikes! And yuck!

Looking at the Weather Channel’s tropical Atlantic satellite map with all those paisley things swirling around in the water gives me the willies.

I’m lazy and don’t want to lug the potted plants inside, twist the swing off its hinges, pry the window boxes (particularly gorgeous right now filled with pink phlox) from the house.

Really, I just want to go to the beach and read a book all stretched out and oiled up in the sun.

But instead, it looks like "yikes" and "yuck" are on the menu. The only "yippee!" thing I can think of right now is that I have a reason to unfold solar cooker and get a little practice.

That’s right, folks. Tonight me and the Baby Girl will be feasting on pork cooked right on my deck without any electricity or any fear of dying from salmonella or triginosis or whatever death sentence humans face from consuming uncooked pork.

I’ll probably put a little side of cooked carrots out there, too.

I (of very little crafty skill) made a perfectly functional solar cooker from cardboard and aluminum foil and school glue right on my kitchen floor a couple of years ago. (It looks somewhat like the one in the picture here.) Some hurricane or another was bearing down upon us, so I thought it would be fun to see if I really could cook on my deck and not die.

My guide was a book, “Cooking With Sunshine,” which I just realize that I misplaced or something (Hellooooooo Georgiana up there in Maine, did I lend you that book?), but I totally recall how to do this.

So I’m off to the grocery store to get my pork. I’ll keep you posted on the progress throughout the day.

Cuz you know, an epicure has gotta eat. And eat well. No matter the weather!

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