Stormy Candlelight Dinners

By Kathryn Lane

My husband and I did not celebrate Valentine’s this year. Yet we made up for it the following night with a romantic, candlelight dinner. Not exactly to make up for Valentine’s but as a consequence of the deadly snowstorm that hit Texas. When our power failed, we started lighting candles. 

Donning a headlamp, I cooked a “prepare in a pinch” dinner of Spanish-style scrambled eggs with Spanish chorizo, cherry tomatoes, black olives, and a hint of hot paprika on my faithful gas stovetop. 

The Valentine storm came a little more than two months after half our house flooded during the first week in December. A pipe broke in the master bathroom (CLEAN water, mind you!). Nothing to do with our balmy early December weather – a pipe joint simply came undone behind the toilet after we'd gone to bed. I awakened at 1:30 in the morning, heard a hissing sound, got out of bed, and stepped into 4 inches of water. Bob and I cleaned up what we could. Later that morning, he called the insurance company. They sent out a cleaning crew that afternoon. For two months we've had workers every single day except for holidays. And the storm gave them a six-day break. The workers are becoming part of the family!

With the sadness so many people have endured through the pandemic, I keep reminding my husband (and myself) that our flood issues are merely an inconvenience, not a tragedy. Add the snowstorm, blackouts, and lack of water to an already royal mess in our house, we kept our sanity in the face of the storm’s fallout by calling friends to make sure they remained safe. The power outages created a dangerous situation for millions of people.

For lack of water, well, we bypassed bathing. I was thankful all our bathrooms were functional again after the flood, at least until the winter storm knocked out the water supply. But I won't go there! 

In the past two months, our house has either had too much water or none at all. But hey, we live in Texas and Texans are tough!

Below is my simple, easy recipe to use in a pinch. What’s your “use in a pinch” recipe?

Spanish Chorizo/Cherry Tomato Eggs

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

6 slices cured Spanish chorizo ham, cut into pieces – (substitute Mexican chorizo, omitting the paprika)

1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half

1 tablespoon finely chopped green onions

¼ cup chopped black olives

4 large eggs beaten

Salt and pepper to taste

¼ teaspoon hot paprika (optional)

1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped

¼ cup shredded manchego or gouda cheese

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add chorizo and onions. Cook until chorizo begins to crisp, about 2 minutes. Add cherry tomatoes. Season with a pinch of salt. Cook and stir until tomatoes soften and release their juices, about 4-5 minutes. Beat eggs with salt, pepper, and paprika (if using) in a small bowl. Stir seasoned eggs into tomato mixture in the skillet. Add olives. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook and stir until the eggs are set, 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro and cheese. (2 servings)

Bon Appetit.

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Kathryn’s books – The Nikki Garcia Thriller series and her short story collection – Backyard Volcano. All available on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B082H96R11

About Kathryn

Kathryn Lane started out as a starving artist. To earn a living, she became a certified public accountant and embarked on a career in international finance with a major multinational corporation. After two decades, she left the corporate world to plunge into writing mystery and suspense thrillers. In her stories, Kathryn draws deeply from her Mexican background as well as her travels in over ninety countries. https://www.kathryn-lane.com

Photos: Wine and Rose, and Chorizo and Tomato Eggs - Public Domain

Kathryn cooking with a Headlamp - Bob Hurt

The Nikki Garcia Thriller series, book covers by Bobbye Marrs