No Henry Makepeace today, because everything stinks of smoke and it is cold, so I am hiding under a blanket with Mr. Bell and periodically checking the news to make sure that nothing in close proximity to me is on fire. Have I mentioned that it is extremely creepy to walk outside, smell smoke, assume that someone has a woodstove going, and then realize that no, in fact, no one is running their woodstove today? Also, that brownish-grey pall in the street? It’s not fog.

Apparently, a shift in the weather has led to an inversion which is forcing the smoke to hang around, rather than dissipating. Last night it was actually starting to disappear, thanks to a brisk breeze, but…it’s back! Like the Terminator (who apparently formally requested federal assistance yesterday). As of yesterday, here in Mendo we were down to 85 fires from a high of 131, but they were getting bigger, and Cal Fire had very poor containment, because, uhm, we don’t have enough firefighters. Apparently when you declare a state of emergency, no one cares.

I love how the few mentions about the fires in the media focus on Big Sur, which is a popular tourist area, and Napa, which is wine country, totally ignoring the epic fires in the Northern part of the state. The Southern California wildfires last year got tons of press coverage, probably because they put more homes in danger, but it’s still kind of disheartening to note that we barely merit cursory AP coverage. And those poor people flooded out in the Midwest are getting even less attention, despite the fact that the flooding is still going on, and getting worse in some areas. Good to know that the American media has a short attention span; maybe if they realized a bunch of celebrity palaces are threatened by the fires, we’d be seeing some news crews.

NASA took this picture. Not me. Well, duh, I mean it’s not like I have satellite access.

Anyway, here’s a recipe for shrimp curry, because that is what I will be eating for lunch. Silly vegans can use tofu instead.

In a wok, mix a can of coconut milk and two cups of broth of choice.

Bring the heat to medium, and add several slices of ginger cut into slivers, along with a slivered onion (I had an awesome onion from the farmers’ market), and a couple of teaspoons of red curry paste. Let this stuff simmer while you prepare other ingredients.

Throw some sliced green onions (I used three, because that’s what I had) into a small bowl, and add a chopped hot pepper or two, along with two tablespoons of fish sauce, and a tablespoon of brown sugar. (Silly vegans, use tamarind paste mixed with a bit of hot water to make it runny.)

Chop up a couple of zucchini and a handful of mushrooms. You don’t have to use these veggies, and feel free to use replacements like carrots, broccoli, whatever; just don’t overload on the vegetables, because you want the focus to be on the shrimp.

Speaking of which, dejacket and devein the shrimp. I know that deveining is a pain in the butt, but please do it anyway. Unless you’re into cacophagy and you don’t mind a little bitterness in your curry, in which case, rock on with your bad self.

Toss the shrimp into the wok of simmering goodness, and stir briefly before throwing in the vegetables. You may need to add more broth to get full coverage. When the shrimp are pink and the veggies are starting to soften, add in the green onion mixture, and cook for another minute or so, just until the green onions are soft.

Serve over rice, with some chopped coriander and a spritz of lime.

Depending on how much liquid you use, you can make it more soupy, or more thick and currylike; it’s entirely up to you. I like mine soupy, personally.