Foiled Again

Alas, yesterday's attempt at re-making my attitude about cooking was not a success.  I can't tell you how many times I've been through these stages:

Stage I--Read inspiring new book by someone who loves to cook.  In this case, Tamar Adler's "An Everlasting Meal."  Become besotted with the idea of roasting a bunch of vegetables as soon as I return from supermarket so they'll be ready for me to eat healthily and creatively the minute I open the refrigerator door.

Stage II--Go to supermarket.  Buy a TON of  fresh vegetables: fennel, carrots, squash, eggplant, green beans, and more.  Husband baffled by scope of purchase.

Stage III--Get home with groceries.  Throw vegetables in fridge.   Break for lunch.  Read very engaging biography of playwright Wendy Wasserstein.

Stage IV--Vegetables nag.  Give up reading.  Prepare and  steam green beans.  Slice fennel and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper,  per Ina Garten's recipe.  Ditto carrots.  Agonize over who's right: Garten, who says roast at 400 degrees, or Adler, who says 450.  Settle on 425.

Stage V--Get bored hanging around kitchen, retreat to desk.  Begin googling people in Wasserstein biography, especially her daughter, Lucy Jane.  What happened to her after her mother died in 2006?  Become very engaged with digging around for info.

Stage VI--Suddenly remember  veggies! Sprint to kitchen.  Green beans overcooked.  Fennel sprinkled too early with Parmesan has made an oily, burned-bit mess on oven.  Carrots not done.  An everlasting meal?  In my dreams!

Stage VII--Husband returns from work an hour-and-a-half earlier than expected. My mistake. Together we make reader Ann B.'s "Foiled Salmon with Vegetables," a last minute decision so we're  missing yellow squash.  Substitute zucchini.  Quite good, but unreliable oven doubles cooking time.



Sorely tempted to drink the vodka rather than sprinkle over fish and vegetables.

Stage VIII--Conclude that reading two books at once is not a good idea.  Determine that Lucy Jane is living with maternal uncle's ex-wife,  who has penthouse apartment across from Metropolitan Museum of Art.