Writing: Day 29 - The Simple Meal

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Day 29 - The Simple Meal

February 3, 2015
Day 29

My father-in-law paid me a high compliment after one of my quick and easy meals. "Lynne," he said, "You make the best simple meals." Thank you, I guess. I have never let him forget that compliment, the kind you hope is a compliment. But he's right. When I invite you over I want to be with you! So my meals have always and will always be simple yet good.

A friend told me tonight that she thinks I should write a cookbook. She had a few items and she knew I would know what to do with them but she was stumped with her few items. Sweet of her but I have never seen myself as a recipe writer. But, hey, maybe I'm missing something? Ah, probably not.

But I told her my secret and my secret is your secret; butter or olive oil, kosher salt, pepper and garlic powder. I am asked these kinds of questions, "Lynne, how did you make those roasted vegetables?" My response is a broken record: olive oil, kosher salt, pepper and garlic powder period. With these ingredients anything and everything steps up and demands respect as it goes down.

I love breezing through the refrigerator or pantry using only what I have. Tonight I roasted yam with chunks of garlic and fresh frozen corn. I drizzled olive oil over the vegetables while sprinkling salt, garlic powder and pepper. This was to be my vegetable dish. My protein dish was a combination of two cans of Goya "Negro Soup", which is our ultimate favorite, along with onion sautéed in butter adding another bag of corn. When it was time to sit down we first added the yams and then the sautéed butter corn medley on top of that. Then, after adding cheese we placed our plates in the microwave for a tad, oh, this added a really nice touch.

Those ingredients - salt, pepper, butter and garlic powder, have led my family to call me the Queen of Mush. To sauté leftovers in butter, adding those simple spices, is all one needs. We love to eat and we love to pile, we think it is a learned trait. The piling, I mean. I am not sure I have ever been called anything but simple, when it comes to cooking. Good call, cause sometimes simple just simply means simply delicious!