It isn't even so much about the food itself - last night we had chili and potatoes - but the process. The time spent deliberating over cookbooks, especially fancy ones with lots of pictures. The grocery store stroll, the pre-cooking soji, cleaning the temple so that our offerings can be seen. The anticipation. And letting the process be a process, rather than just a means to an end.


We are interested in quality: whole potatoes, big chunks of cheese, fresh herbs and spinach. Dry beans crock-potted all day and then fire-roasted tomatoes, a few dashes of bittersweet chocolate, chipotle, and an unreasonable amount of garlic. Conversation floats by: Greek literature, Buddhism, school. Taste and taste again, adding salt, some marjoram, more garlic. Time it all so that when the poatoes are done with their second baking dessert can slip right in. Then we sit on the floor with wine and music, and close our eyes in delight. Simple food, good company. The eating itself is almost ancillary.



And then: a benefit of making strawberry shortcake with shortcake from scratch and whipped cream from cream is that the next morning one can have shortcake and jam for breakfast, and whipped cream in one's coffee. And it will be delicious. And one will feel no guilt whatsoever, because the shortcake is whole-wheat and the cream is organic. And it will be delicious.