By Libby Atilano
Edited by John Fierst
Last year I had a crazy idea of trying 100 new restaurants before the end of the year. I did it to challenge myself to try new flavors and explore Houston’s culinary scene. Now let me clarify – this is not to say I only ate out 100 times! Included in this number are not the times I ate Whataburger or ate at restaurants I had already tried. If I had to guess (eek, I’m embarrassed to guess), I think I must have eaten out, maybe 180 times last year. But when you put into account that there are 365 days in a year, and we eat three meals a day, it’s not so bad, or at least that’s what I’m telling myself! I know this is a lot of eating out, but food is my passion. Not only do I love trying new flavors, but I love bringing people to my table. Food has reconnected me with old friends and brought new ones to my table. My favorite thing about food is how it brings people together.
On Monday, March 16, 2020, Mayor Sylvester Turner announced the temporary closure of dining out and limiting restaurants to take out/delivery. As someone who loves Houston’s restaurants, this was heartbreaking to me. I instantly thought of the small restaurant owners I’ve met in the past year. I felt sad for the next day, for the weeks to come, and for the waiters, cooks, dishwashers, and everyone involved in the food industry.
With the uncertainty of employment many Houstonians are currently facing, I couldn’t help to think of how this year my eating out habits will be different compared to last year. I dusted off my recipe book and started cooking again. As I posted my stuffed pasta recipe on Instagram, I felt a bit guilty for posting it. I kept thinking of the scarcity of items at my local grocery store or how many of us will budget more than ever and plan out economical meals. It felt more fitting to post my favorite struggle meal from grad school: pico de gallo tuna with lots of lemon and buffalo sauce. I polled my friends and they all said they are cooking now more than before Covid-19. We’ve had to get creative, including leaving ingredients out when we can’t find them at the store or replacing them with what we have at home. The reality is that our life will never be the same after this pandemic. Many of us will come out the other side as creative cooks and feel grateful when we see a produce section full of fruits and vegetables. But after social distancing, what we’ll truly cherish more than ever, is sharing our table with our loved ones.
Pico de gallo tuna fish
- 2 cans of tuna fish
- 1 can of corn
- Medium diced tomato
- Small diced onion
- 1/4 of a cup of cilantro
- 1 lime or lemon (or half a lime, depending on how much you like lime/lemon)
- Buffalo sauce or favorite hot sauce to taste
- Saltines or Tostadas
Place diced tomato, onion and cilantro in a large mixing bowl. Add drained tuna fish and corn to the large bowl. Squeeze lime/lemon juice and mix the juice into the ingredients. Add buffalo sauce to taste and mix (or omit if you don’t like hot sauce). Place a spoonful of pico de gallo tuna fish on a saltine cracker or tostada and enjoy! Refrigerate any leftovers.
