Notes from the Kitchen
What we have sat with
Nights kept, dishes named. Not a plan.
2026
Eggs, toast, the good butterSaturday, September 12
Saturday again. The good butter is almost gone. That is a good sign.
- Peter's cottage bowl
Thursday, September 10
His lunch. I made something else. We still sat at the same table.
- Two-plate steak
Monday, September 7
Same pan, two plates. He took the smaller cut and extra greens without being asked.
- Omelette for two
Thursday, September 3
Late. Eggs. Split down the middle. No discussion of what else we could have made.
- Rosemary chicken
Thursday, August 20
He did not follow it. He riffed. Rosemary, then something I had not thought of.
Riff: A little garlic skin-on, smashed, in the butter at the end.
- Citrus chicken
Tuesday, July 28
Too hot for a roast. This was the bright version of the same instinct.
- Sunday roast
Sunday, July 5
A warm Sunday, roast anyway. The leftover became Monday without a meeting.
- Caprese on the counter
Sunday, June 21
First tomatoes that actually smelled like tomatoes. We ate at the counter. No plates, then plates.
- Mother's skillet chicken
Monday, June 8
He described it from the stove of his childhood. Onion, a lid, no list. We got close enough that he went quiet.
Riff: Lid on. Don't fuss.
- Pan chicken, leftover lemon
Thursday, May 14
Yesterday's lemon still had a half. That was enough of a reason.
- Rosemary chicken
Saturday, May 2
Same chicken. Different night. He added the lemon at the table without comment.
Riff: Lemon at the table, not in the pan.
- Carbonara, almost
Wednesday, April 22
Too much pepper. He looked at it, tasted it, and said keep it. We kept it.
Riff: Pepper past the point of polite.
- Peter's cottage bowl
Thursday, April 9
He made his own lunch and sat down to eat it. That was the win. Not the bowl.
- Broken hollandaise morning
Sunday, March 15
The sauce broke. We laughed. He said start over, like a bad take. The second one held.
Riff: Rescue with a fresh yolk. Do not throw the first one out.
- Roasted carrots and a story
Monday, March 2
He told a story from rehearsal while they roasted. I remember the story more than the cumin.
- Herb butter ribeye
Saturday, February 14
A night that asked for more than Tuesday. We ate slowly on purpose.
- Omelette for two
Monday, February 2
Whatever was left in the door of the fridge. It still felt like a meal because we split it.
- Two-plate steak
Sunday, January 18
Two steaks that did not match. Same pan. That was the whole idea, finally named.
Riff: Smaller steak off first. Butter only on one plate.
- Tomato soup, grilled cheese
Monday, January 5
Rain on the windows. We ate the grilled cheese standing up, then sat down for the soup. Backwards, and right.
2025
Sunday roastSunday, December 21
A long Sunday. We carved at the table and did not talk about the week.
- Citrus chicken
Thursday, December 4
The orange was for breakfast. He used it anyway. The kitchen smelled like December without trying.
Riff: Breakfast orange, zest and juice.
- Mashed potatoes, the long way
Thursday, November 27
Peter took the masher and would not give it back. Lumps and all. We kept them.
Riff: Stopped short of smooth. Left the lumps.
- Rosemary chicken
Saturday, November 8
He opened the drawer for a spoon and found the rosemary. He threw it in without asking. That is when the riffing started.
Riff: Rosemary from the drawer, at the end, not the beginning.
- Sunday roast
Sunday, October 12
Home after the late service. The house smelled like we had been there all day.
- Eggs, toast, the good butter
Saturday, October 4
Saturday. No plan. The good butter made it feel like a decision anyway.
- Baked potato night
Saturday, September 20
The first night we stopped trying to make dinner interesting and just made dinner.