The Circumference of a Circle

Oh, the poor forgotten circumference
Never gets the credit it has earned
Instead we focus on the interior
Of the circles in our lives

Clocks track our time and days
Wheels and spokes move us forward
Coins are rich with history and promise
Buttons decorate and bind us together
Dart boards teach us where to aim
The Sun and Moon inspire our imagination
Vinyl records spin us back to our youth

And each of these, rich in colors and shades
Draw us together to the inside

But let’s give circumference its due.
None of these would exist without
The boundary that gives life to shape
Circumference frames the time
Delivers the promise for tomorrow
Teaches, decorates, inspires, and
Binds us to memories
Rich in harmony and colors

Imagine the interior of this circle:

Palatable colors of dark magenta
Alternating with shades of vibrant tangerine
Surrounding a milk white center
All sprinkled with hints of green and brown

And thank the circumference for all of it

It gives your heart persimmon to take a beet.

Recipe and Shopping List

Time to prepare: 1 hour

Serves: 4 people as a side dish

• 2 medium-sized beets, roasted, peeled, sliced

• 2 persimmons, sliced

• 1 burrata ball

• Bunch of dill, chopped

• Roasted and salted sliced almonds

• Zest of one lemon

• Hot honey

• Sea salt

Roast the beets: Cut off both ends of the beet, peel, rinse, then wrap each beet in tin foil. Place on a baking sheet and roast at 400 degrees for about 45-50 minutes. Let sit on the counter until cool. Unwrap and slice each beet into ¼ inch rings.

Make the salad: Layer one beet slice and persimmon slice in a ring, on a plate. In the middle, place the burrata ball. Sprinkle with dill, almonds, and lemon zest. Drizzle with hot honey and sea salt.

Recipe Shopping List:

• 2 medium-sized beets

• 2 persimmons

• 1 burrata ball

• Bunch of dill

• Roasted and salted sliced almonds

• 1 lemon

• Hot honey

• Sea salt

  

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Stuffed

We learn early
that life arrives like a list
that someone else wrote

Responsibilities first
heavy, unchosen, necessary
doors that must be opened on time
bills that return like unwanted guests
a calendar that fills itself

We try to hold steady
while things are put in our hands
faster than we can sort them

We learn patience 
pressure reshapes us 
waiting softens us

The world is not against us
some edges become structure
the beams holding us together

And somewhere along the way
what once felt like overflow
becomes meaning

The weight we resented
begins to look like proof
that we matter

We begin to see
we are not only carrying life
we are being filled by it

By the people who stay
by the work that matters
by love that arrives unannounced

And then we understand
what we once called too much
was not burden

It was abundance

Recipe and Shopping List:

Time to prepare: 1 hour

Serves: 2 people, as a side dish

• 1 acorn squash, cut in half (from stem to bottom), spoon out the seeds

• 1 cup cooked quinoa

• ¼ cup toasted sliced almonds

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• ¼ cup feta cheese

• 2 scallions

• Salt and pepper to taste

To cook the squash: Place the two halves, cut side down, into a large baking dish. Pour water into the dish, about halfway up the squash. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes, at 400 degrees. Once done, move the halves to individual side dish bowls, right side up, and let sit for 5 minutes before building your dish.

To make the almonds: In a small sauté pan, add 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, ¼ cup sliced almonds, and a pinch of salt. Stir and cook over medium heat, turning often, until golden brown. Note: Almonds burn quickly. Pay careful attention and stir frequently. It’s best not to multi-task when roasting almonds.

Build your squash: With the cut side up, spoon quinoa into the center. Sprinkle half of the almonds, feta cheese, and scallions over each squash. Add salt and pepper to taste.

For a fun twist, drizzle hot honey over the squash for a sweet heat treat.

Recipe shopping list:

• 1 acorn squash

• Quinoa, any kind

• 1 package of sliced almonds

• Extra virgin olive oil

• 1 container of crumbled feta cheese

• 1 bunch of scallions

• Hot honey, if desired

  

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Living Color

There are some weekends
we each go our own way.

He chases a golf ball
through trimmed oceans of green.

She reads three chapters
beneath a blanket of afternoon light.

Another wanders garden centers
touching leaves as if greeting relatives.

The little one listens to music
sliding from headphones into his soul.

And nobody cares about the remote,
because each is already
in living color.

Recipe and Shopping List:

Time to prepare: 30 minutes

Serves: 4 people

• 1 package of flatbread, store-bought, baked slightly for crunch

• 2-3 different types of fruit, sliced (for example: apricots, plums, peaches, strawberries, blueberries, apples, blackberries, figs)

• At least two varieties of cream cheese (for example: strawberry, chive, and onion)

• 1 cucumber, sliced thin

• Brie cheese, sliced thin

• 1-6-ounce pack of Prosciutto slices

• ¼ cup chopped roasted nuts (for example: almonds, pistachios, or candied pecans)

• Honey, or hot honey if you’re feeling spicy

To make a flatbread: Weekend flatbreads can be made with a variety of seasonal ingredients. They are designed to be unique—the goal is to explore multiple flavor profiles in one bite. And the secret to making a good flatbread is to keep it sweet or savory and to add fresh produce, crunchy toppings, and a creamy spread. Those three components make for a complete bite.

Before layering, toast or heat the flatbread in a 250-degree oven for about 5 minutes.

Flatbreads in the photo:

• Chive and onion cream cheese, green apple, prosciutto, brie slices, pistachios, honey, rose petals, edible flower petals, salt to taste.

• Chive and onion cream cheese, cucumber slices, dill, pistachios, salt, and pepper to taste.

• Strawberry cream cheese, apricot, plum, strawberry slices, chopped candied pecans, rose petals, and edible flowers.

Recipe shopping list:

• 1 package of flatbread

• 2-3 types of fruit, choose from:

  • 2-3 apricots, 2 plums, 1 peach, package of strawberries, package of blueberries, 1 apple, package of blackberries, package of figs

• At least two varieties of cream cheese, one sweet, one savory

• 1 cucumber

• Small bunch of dill

• Brie cheese

• 1-6-ounce pack of Prosciutto slices

• Chopped nuts (for example: roasted almonds, pistachios, or candied pecans)

• One pack of edible flowers, typically found in health food stores or international markets

• Honey

  

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A Smile Awakens

A small persuasion
for staying at the table.

Sweet against sharp.
Soft beside crisp.
A small theater
before the curtain rises.

And honey,
taking its time,
finding every corner.

Recipe and Shopping List:

Time to prepare: 10 minutes

Serves: An amuse-bouche is a single bite of food, often served before an appetizer.

• 1 slice of Honeycrisp apple

• 1 green grape, sliced into 2-3 thin slices

• Danish blue cheese crumble

• 1 roasted, candied pecan

• Orange zest

• Micro-basil leaves, or any microgreen of your choosing

• Honey drizzle

For each bite: Layer the following ingredients delicately. Apple, grape, blue cheese, pecan, zest, honey, microgreen.

Recipe shopping list:

• 1 Honeycrisp apple

• Small bag of green grapes

• Danish blue cheese crumbles

• 1 small container of candied pecans

• 1 orange

• 1 container of Micro-basil leaves, or microgreen

• Honey

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Cheese and Pepper Date

I would love to go out to eat
If you will tag along.

Sure, as long as you are paying the bill.
Tag.  You’re it.

No, no, no, you are absolutely it.
And no tag backs.

We should just split the bill then.
We will tag team the cost.

Let’s go to that place on Anthony Avenue.
That new restaurant, Tagliatelle. 

Sounds great.  When you post on Facebook,
Don’t forget to tag me.

Hashtag

Recipe and Shopping List:

Time to prepare: 30 minutes

Serves: 2-4 people (depending on the size of the people 😊)

• 12-oz tagliatelle pasta

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 2 tbsp butter

• 1-2 cups finely grated pecorino Romano (Yes, that’s a big difference in the amount of cheese needed… but let’s be honest with ourselves, cheesiness is a personal preference, and more is always better.)

• Fresh cracked black pepper

Make the pasta: Boil the pasta in water according to the instructions on the box, but only until al dente. In a separate skillet, warm the olive oil and butter over low heat.

Once the pasta reaches al dente, pour in a full ladle of pasta water into the skillet and stir. Note: Do not drain the pasta using a colander for this recipe.

Next, using tongs, add the cooked pasta directly from the pasta water to the skillet. Stir.

Add ½ of the grated pecorino Romano and stir until creamy. Add additional ladles of water and handfuls of cheese until the pasta reaches the desired consistency.

Crack black pepper over the pasta, starting with roughly ½ tsp, then add more to taste.

Serve warm, sprinkle grated pecorino Romano on each plate.

Recipe shopping list:

• 12-oz box of tagliatelle pasta

• Extra virgin olive oil

• Butter, unsalted

• 1 block of pecorino Romano

• Jar of black peppercorns

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Recipe Card


Sitting on the living room sofa,
probably watching The Golden Girls,
it is the smell of comfort
coming from the kitchen
that reaches me first.

It might be the sage or garlic
and surely the tomato sauce.
Back then, I did not know ingredients,
only that they added up
to mom’s meatloaf.

That’s all we ever called it,
no need for fancy names.
It earned its place through
the love she added to the recipe.

An hour or more in the oven
teased my impatient teen spirit,
as the anticipation grew
on pace with the aroma.

When finally seated, fork in hand
I could see her gently smile
as I loaded seconds on my plate.
Oh the crunch of the crispy fried onions!

Every bite felt like a warm embrace
as dinner conversations were always
more alive on those evenings.

She never sought applause
because our fast empty plates
were all the gratitude she needed.

In time, the meal gets passed down
through generations as an heirloom 
on a faded recipe card with 
words written in cursive
and a splotch of dry mustard in the corner.

Each time I make this, as the mom
this time around, I am drawn back 
to that kitchen, the smells,
the warmth, the love, the comfort.

I am drawn back 
to mom

Recipe and Shopping List:

Time to prepare: 2 hours

Serves: 5 people

• 1 ½ pounds ground beef

• ½ pound ground pork

• 1 egg

• 1 tbsp Worcestershire

• ½ tsp dry ground mustard

• ¼ tsp dried ground sage

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 1-8 ounce can of tomato sauce, separate out 1/3 cup

• 2/3 cup milk

• 3 slices of bread, cubed

• 1 small white onion, chopped

• 1 jalapeño, seeded and diced

• 1 small can of crispy fried onions, separate out 1/3 cup

• 1 ½ tsp salt

• ¼ tsp pepper

To make the meatloaf: Add 1/3 cup tomato sauce, 1/3 cup crispy onions, and all other ingredients except the meat to a large mixing bowl and mix thoroughly.

Then combine the meat with the mix by hand until well combined, but be careful not to overmix (the meatloaf will become tough).

Add the meat mixture to an ungreased loaf pan. Top with the remaining tomato sauce. Bake in the oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Top with the remaining crispy onions and bake for an additional fifteen minutes.

Tip: Serve with a side of ketchup, gochujang, or barbecue sauce for dipping.

Recipe shopping list:

• 1 package of ground beef

• 1 package of ground pork

• Eggs

• Worcestershire

• Dry ground mustard

• Dried ground sage

• 1 bulb of fresh garlic

• 1-8 ounce can of tomato sauce

• Milk, any kind

• 3 slices of bread, or 1 hamburger bun, or 1 large dinner roll

• 1 small white onion, baseball size

• 1 jalapeño

• 1 small can of crispy fried onions

  

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Pirouette

Dragon thunders through the forest
Strong and determined
Grunts of yellow and red fire
Like a declaration of his realm
As if prophecy had made
These woodlands for his throne

Forest Fairy prances nearby,
Unaware of the heat and vigor
Invading the day’s serenity
She sways and skips
Softly, whistling a sprightly tune
For an audience of none.

They reach a small clearing
At the very same moment
Their eyes meet
Across a narrow divide.

Dragon stomps his talons
Twice on the unforgiving, frozen soil
Breathing a gust of fire,
Setting a nearby bush ablaze.

Undisturbed, Forest Fairy
Glides lightly to the bush
Pulling out Marigold and Rose petals
One by one from her pouch
And in a graceful pirouette,
Sprinkles the bush back to life.

The forest belongs to no one.
And everyone.

Recipe and Shopping List:

Time to prepare: 15 minutes

Serves: 4 people, as a side dish

• 1 dragon fruit, peeled and cubed

• 2 mangos, peeled and cubed

• ½ English cucumber, cubed

• Pinch of dried rose petals

• 1 fresh marigold flower, leaves removed and cleaned

• Hot honey to taste

• Sea salt to taste

Cut the dragon fruit: With a paring knife, pierce the pink skin of the fruit about ¼ inch through. Cut a slit and gradually peel the skin off the fruit with your fingers, like you would an orange peel.

Make the salad: Combine dragon fruit, mango, and cucumber in a bowl. Sprinkle rose petals, marigold leaves, and sea salt, then drizzle with hot honey.

Recipe shopping list:

• 1 dragon fruit

• 2 mangos

• 1 English cucumber

• Dried rose petals, purchased online or in some international food markets

• 1 package of edible marigold flowers

• Hot honey

  

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Field of Waiting

There is a way of preparing
that is not preparation
but patience given shape.

Something is placed into darkness
and left there
to change in solitude.

Spice clings to the air
warm, sharp, almost sweet
before anything is dressed.

Fruit softens into itself
breaking its own edges
until sweetness feels earned.

Leaves are moved through heat
just long enough
to tease their shades of green.

Everything separate at first.
Everything insisting on its identity.

Then fire.
Then together.
Intimate.

Recipe and Shopping List:

Time to prepare: 5-7 hours, including marinating time

Serves: 2 people

• 1 pork tenderloin

• 2 apples, any kind, peeled, and cut into cubes

• ½ head of purple cabbage, chopped

• 1 container of fresh arugula

• ½ cup frozen cranberries

• 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped

• 2 scallions

• ¼ tsp cinnamon

• ½ tsp granulated sugar

• Juice of one and a half lemons

• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil plus 1 tbsp

• ¼ tsp cumin

• ¼ tsp turmeric

• ¼ tsp garlic powder

• ¼ tsp paprika

• ¼ tsp dried parsley

• ¼ tsp ground ginger

• ¼ tsp fresh cracked black pepper

To make the marinade: In a plastic bag or container, combine lemon, olive oil, cumin, turmeric, garlic powder, paprika, parsley, ginger, and pepper. Mix thoroughly, add the pork tenderloin, and refrigerate for 4-6 hours before grilling.

To make the applesauce: Heat the apples, sugar, cinnamon, and a splash of water in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Cover the pan loosely (keep the top slightly ajar) and cook for about 10-12 minutes, until the apples start to break down. Add the cranberries, stir, and let cook for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Serve warm or cold. Applesauce can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.

To make the cabbage: Add 1 tbsp of olive oil to a sauté pan placed over medium heat. Once the oil is warmed through, add the cabbage and stir. Add chopped garlic, salt, and pepper to taste. Stir in the pan for about 2 minutes until the cabbage begins to wilt, then remove from the heat. The cabbage is served best when it is still crunchy, though lightly heated through. Tip: If you’re feeling zingy, add a tsp of apple cider vinegar just before removing the pan from the heat.

Grill the pork: Over medium-high heat (i.e., 400-450 degrees), grill the pork tenderloin for about 3-4 minutes per side, until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees. Total grill time should be about 15-18 minutes. Let it sit for at least 5 minutes before cutting. Longer is better.

Plating: Toss arugula with the juice of half a lemon and place on the plate. Cover the arugula with the cabbage mixture, then slices of pork, and top with applesauce and scallions.

Recipe shopping list:

• 1 pork tenderloin

• 2 apples, any kind

• 1 head of purple cabbage, or 1 bag of pre-shredded purple cabbage

• 1 container of fresh arugula

• 1 bag of frozen cranberries

• 1 bulb of fresh garlic

• 1 bunch of scallions

• Cinnamon

• White granulated sugar

• 2 lemons

• Extra virgin olive oil

• Cumin

• Turmeric

• Garlic powder

• Paprika

• Dried parsley

• Ground dried ginger

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Law of Attraction

When opposites
agree to share space.

One side remembers fire
not gently, not politely
but in the way iron remembers flame.

The other stays cool
unfinished
unbent by heat.

Something bright mediates
not peace exactly
but conversation.

Sweetness arrives.
Sharpness resists.

Cooked becomes anchor.
Raw becomes wind.

Floating magnets on a quiet sea.

Recipe and Shopping List:

Time to prepare: One and a half hours (includes cooking the quinoa)

Serves: 3-4 people, depending on the size of the steaks (and people)

• 3 New York Strip Steaks

• 1 cup cooked black lentils (can be canned lentils)

• 1 cup cooked mixed quinoa

• ¾ English cucumber, chopped

• 1 red pepper, sliced thin

• 3 cups shredded cabbage

• 1 bunch of scallions

• 1 cup cooked and shelled edamame

• 1 mango, chopped

• 1 bunch of parsley

• 1 bunch cilantro

• ½ cup mint, torn

• ½ cup basil, torn

• 1 tbsp lemon grass, finely diced

• 2 tsp grated garlic

• 2 tsp grated ginger

• 1 medium orange, zested and juiced

• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 1 tbsp toasted sesame seed oil

• 1 ½ tbsp soy sauce

• 1 tbsp hot honey

• 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar

• A couple dashes of hot sauce

• 1 lime, juiced

• ½ lemon, juiced

Make the dressing: In a bowl whisk together the soy sauce, olive oil, sesame oil, orange juice, lime juice, lemon juice, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, hot honey, rice wine vinegar, and hot sauce.

Make the salad: In a separate large bowl, combine lentils, quinoa, cucumber, red pepper, shredded cabbage, scallions, edamame, mango, parsley, mint, cilantro, and basil. Just before serving, toss with dressing.

Grill the steak: To grill a perfectly medium-rare New York strip steak, remove the steak from the refrigerator one hour before grilling, and liberally salt and pepper both sides. Set the grill to 450-500 degrees, with one side over direct heat and the other side off—meaning one side of the grill has an open flame and the other does not.

Place the steak on the hot side of the grill, and leave it for three minutes. Whatever you do, do NOT touch the steak.

After three minutes, rotate the steak 45 degrees and grill an additional three minutes on the same side. Note: Do not flip the steak just yet.

After six minutes of grilling on one side, flip the steak and grill for three minutes, over direct heat. After three minutes, rotate the steak 45 degrees for an additional three minutes (i.e., the steak should grill for six minutes per side on direct heat).

Move the steak to indirect heat (i.e., warm side) and cook until desired doneness. For a 1.5-2-inch-thick steak cooked medium-rare, indirect grilling may take 5-6 minutes per side, for a total grilling time of 22-24 minutes. But don’t go too far, as soon as the meat starts to feel tough/hard, take it off the grill. A medium-rare steak should feel soft and pillowy to the touch.

Note: For thinner steaks, grilling times may need to be adjusted. In my world, there is no such thing as medium-well or well-done.

Recipe shopping list:

• 3 New York strip steaks

• 1 cup cooked black lentils, which can be bought in a can, pre-packaged, or freshly boiled (sort of like beans and rice)

• Quinoa, any kind

• 1 English cucumber

• 1 red bell pepper

• 1 head of cabbage, or 1 bag of pre-packaged shredded cabbage

• 1 bunch of scallions

• 1 package of frozen shelled edamame

• 1 mango

• 1 bunch of parsley

• 1 bunch cilantro

• 1 small bunch of fresh mint

• 1 bunch of fresh basil

• 1 stalk of lemon grass, or one package of freshly grated lemon grass (found in the produce section)

• 1 head of fresh garlic

• Fresh ginger root

• 1 medium orange, softball size

• Extra virgin olive oil

• Toasted sesame seed oil

• Soy sauce

• 1 jar of hot honey

• Rice wine vinegar

• Hot sauce (if using)

• 1 lime

• 1 lemon

  

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