Laptop Lunches #30

At last, I have a refrigerator! And I have been to the store to buy food! I made a mistake, though--I went to buy the food on a Saturday afternoon. In the land of my origins, this would not have resulted in the creation of grocery shopping as a contact sport, but in the northeast, the stores are smaller, with narrower aisles, and it's a lot more congested as a result. The density of the population is also greater. All of that to say, I was not as good with my budget as I usually am, because the entire experience was so stressful. (I think I have concluded that 8:00 AM, Monday-Wednesday, is probably best, but even then you have to deal with stockers.)

Bananas and strawberries, a tiny bit of a mini lemon meringue pie, roast duck breast on a bed of herbed couscous and some pomegranate sauce (leftover from last night--pricey overall, but worth it), and baby carrots with roasted red pepper hummus in a silicone cup.

The duck was a new recipe for me. I have eaten very little duck in my life, but this was the very best duck I have ever had. It's actually a pretty easy one, too--seared duck breast seasoned with kosher salt that is then baked in a hot oven (425 degrees, if I am remembering right), and then you make a sauce from the drippings in the skillet you seared the duck in out of pomegranate juice, a shallot, and some cornstarch--the whole thing, start to finish, takes about 20 minutes. And couscous is, of course, super easy. I would consider this an easy meal for impressing a date, if there was room for it amid dissertating.

I will be less extravagant with my choices next time I visit the store, but this was a fun and attractive return to actual cooking.