What I’ve Been Eating During the Pandemic
In my first two months at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, I’ve immersed myself in my home kitchen. I also Maintained a connection to Pittsburgh restaurants by ordering takeout.
PHOTOS BY HAL B. KLEIN
Salem’s in the Strip District has my favorite butcher counter in the city. I smoked some beautiful Washington County halal lamb in March.
Things started jumping on Pittsburgh farms in May. Bitter Ends Garden, Tiny Seed Farm and be.wild.er Farm produce, plus some homemade croutons, made for a marvelous salad.
Kneading, shaping and baking bagels is a form of meditation for me.
I was stoked to have a batch of Marcella Ogrodnik’s Cafe Agnes tamales in my freezer ready to go for a lovely lunch.
The beloved Pittsburgh restaurant Casbah added family meals to its takeout menu. This fried chicken meal was a crunchy delight.
In late May, after Allegheny County moved to yellow, a few of my closest friends and I met in the park for a picnic featuring handmade dumplings and noodles from Sakura.
