Food and Love

Every time I cook something amazing, I still think about R. My ex, Gumball's dad. I think, "bet no one is cooking (insert delicious food here) for you, asshole." Not because anyone should be cooking for him, but because he doesn't cook. I have thought this recently about the world's best salad*, delicious grilled steak tips, and tonight: BLTs with mom's tomatoes and fried eggs. I cook 5 nights of the week. Or maybe 4? And at least half of those meals are delicious. I love whole grains, greens, and some protein. Kind of traditional. I try to eat pasta only once a week though, bc I never get full when I eat it, so I end up eating way too much of it.

So yeah. Tonight's dinner. So delicious.

Not only is this guy missing seeing my sweet little grub turn into a full fledged human, with a sparkling, wonderful personality, he is also missing out on some incredible food. I am looking forward to the day when Gumball can eat with me.

Gumball has been changing so quickly these days. She can, more than half the time, point to: pictures of babies, cats, dogs, cows and ducks. She can identify my and her: nose, mouth, ears and eyes. If I ask for a specific toy, she can go get it (within reason: Baby, Blue Guy, Kitty, Box, Ball, and a few others). If I ask for a book, she will try to get it (Pat the Bunny, Baby Faces, any of the Slinky Malinki series...). She only says 2 words clearly: mama, and duck. But she always says "day-day" for baby, there are a couple other "words" she knows. She's not walking yet, but she pulls up on everything, and crawls like a maniac. If I ask what a fish says, she makes fish faces, and she moos when I ask what a cow says.

He is missing all this: food, and baby. And me, of course. What a dumbass.



*Kale Salad (this is not my recipe. A friend's mom sent it to me.)

1 bunch kale

3 (or more or less, according to taste)  garlic cloves, finely chopped

1/2 cup finely grated pecorino or romano cheese, more for garnish

¼  cup olive oil

Freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon (or ¼ cup jar lemon juice)

1  teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste.

1.    Trim bottom 2 inches off kale stems and discard. Slice kale, including ribs, into 3/4-inch-wide ribbons. You should have 4 to 5 cups. Place kale in a large bowl.

2.    Chop the garlic until it is finely chopped in the food processor or a blender.  Then mix in the lemon juice and oil and whirl it really fast until it makes a sort of thick dressing.   Mix the pepper flakes, salt and black pepper into the dressing when it is done.  Then take that dressing and mix it into the kale by hand.  Last, add the cheese and mix that in by hand.  Dressing will be thick and need lots of tossing to coat leaves).  .

Yield:  4 servings. Or 1, if you invite me over.

TIP:  After you have made it a few times you can vary the amount of garlic or cheese to your taste.