Here’s one thing I never thought I’d be doing for a full afternoon on Monday, April 13th, 2020, crafting a turkey burger recipe. You read that correctly. I spent a couple of hours traversing the web and my kitchen for something, anything, that would make the usually bland meat, exciting. During this disease scourge, we have made sure we stick to a “fresh food” concept in our home – the usual for us – more so than any other time in our lives. Why? First, processed food is simply not good for you. Period. Yes, we all endure and consume it, but in the long run, study after study proves that a diet built on a foundation of processed food leads to a laundry list of health issues. Second, immunity responses in the body tend to be better prepared for viruses and bacterial concerns if the body is not labored trying to figure out what the hell its digesting and trying to assimilate into nutrients. Third, and more anecdotally, we find fresh food less expensive. In saying that, I will admit, once we stopped making our bread, we do purchase very clean milk and bread at a hefty cost. But we’re not raising children, and a loaf of a bread and a half-gallon of milk last us a week, so we afford the luxury. Back to the turkey – and don’t grouse; it’s processed to a point, but organic and not out of a can or soaked with ingredients most can’t read. I found some spices, chopped up a yellow onion, minced some fresh garlic, added a little salt and pepper, and voila! Now, for those of you long-time cooks and chefs, this is a big deal for me. In the past, to cut up fresh vegetables, use organic herbs and spices, let alone mix them into meat, would have been something I bought ready made at the store. Yes, I grew up with a household of can goods, sugared loaves of bread, and boxed and frozen dinners. That was years ago. Making it past 61, and being in uncharted territory of my paternal lineage, fresh food – or, as fresh as possibly can be – has saved my life and allowed me to, hopefully, live through this contagion. Take the time in the kitchen. Light some candles, turn on some music, and make “making” a meal a grand episode of the day. Even if the event is as bland as a turkey burger, you can make it more exciting.