A Cook With No Taste (Or Sense Of Smell For That Matter)

No steaming vats of chicken soup arrived on my doorstep despite the kind mention of them by my neighbor D., who feigned performance anxiety for not having made some, and my MIL's offer to drop some by, which I had to turn down since I am in no mood for visitors or talk. Besides, I couldn't allow anyone healthy inside our plague-ridden household.

So I gathered forces to make my own. I defrosted a chicken and used some fresh vegetables that R. had delivered recently. I wasn't going to make "the usual" soup, a la grandma. I was overcome by an urge to make a soup with more of a kick. This must have been brought on by my complete and utter lack of taste or smell. Yes, for a week now, I have been unable to taste or smell my food (which is why you haven't hearing that much about it).

Yes cooking without one's two most important senses can be challenging
Without them, so many fundamental aspects of cooking are just thrown by the wayside.


Was my chicken rotten? How should I know? How about this coconut milk? I have never used coconut milk before. I looked at it longingly and wondered how it tasted. Perhaps it was sweet or rancid. I had to call in Izzy to test. Did the soup smell good? Izzy on the job. And on it went. Cooking became a visual and textural experience, which is of no help to the final product.

Eventually I made a version of Nina Planck's Chicken Coconut Soup recipe.
We all slurped it down but it needed more of everything..not my fault, I couldn't taste. All was not lost for I knew that I was on to a great recipe, definitely worth tweaking and improving.

Tonight I tried again. Izzy said it was much improved and I could feel the hot pepper in the back of my mouth. I also added more ingredients. It looked better and according to Izzy, smelled better too. I still won't reveal my recipe until I can actually taste it myself but give Nina's a try if you are in the market for something a bit spicier and lighter than grandma's version (unless of course your grandma happens to be Thai in which case perhaps you were brought up eating something like it).