Yesterday my coordination and brain were ridiculously clumsy in the kitchen.  I was making Paprika-Braised Chicken with Salt Pork and Spinach, with ad hoc tripling, this involved:  Raw chicken liquid all over the floor twice.  Chopping skills not quite as shaky as carrying, but close, “rustic chop” would have been a compliment for the carrots and onions.  Tongs + chicken slipping and sliding about.  Hot oil splatter.  Staring at the braising liquid unsure why it wouldn’t thicken.  Cleaning up (another sloshy mess), I realize, oh yeah, the cornstarch.  Other recipe steps forgotten: drying the chicken, heating the chickpea mush. Read the rest of this entry »