I Cook

Man, those pans were flyin'. Last night I enjoyed a nice home-prepared dinner, all pulled together in a jiffy. It was tasty and nutritious; not exactly gourmet but quite pleasurably edible. Before going to Fiji, Stephanie bought some marinated ahi tuna which I pan fried, four minutes on a side. At the same time I boiled water, tossed in some char-grilled corn, and reset the heat to simmer. Next, a salad, which warranted a separate bowl. I tore up two large leaves of lettuce and added a handful of cherry tomatoes and sliced red onion. After I turned the fish, I drained the corn and added a little butter. Corn done. Fish done. Now I dressed the salad with balsamic vinegar and olive oil, and set the table. I decided that the ahi would be nicely paired with a glass of pinot noir, which is light in tannins so it's not overpowering (besides, the bottle happened to be open already). All this came together in about a 15 minute time span. If only Stephanie and my daughters could have seen—it was a class performance. I even used a cloth napkin. Lacking a dinner companion, opened a novel and read with interest while I dined. Not a bad evening. I had outdone myself, by myself and for myself—and what's wrong with a little pride in personal culinary panache?