While I will be the first to admit that my husband is probably a much better cook than me, I like to think that meal prep is something we enjoy doing together. Cooking in the kitchen is a collaborative effort for us, with him usually handling the main course and me the side dishes (and the cleanup afterwards).
We worked together this evening to prepare a rather traditional Sunday meal of fried pork cutlets with homemade gravy and seasoned green beans. We also had sides of mashed potatoes (for him) and riced cauliflower (for me), both topped with more of that delicious gravy.
He is a much better “fryer” than I am! Frying foods scares me, for some odd reason. I never seem to get the oil hot enough or be able to neatly turn whatever it is I am cooking, so the breading is always messed up. But not Ed! He is fearless about it and it always turns out perfectly!
Once he got these cutlets lightly browned on the stovetop, he put them on a wire rack in a foil lined pan and slipped them into the oven to finish cooking.
Ed’s gravy is divine. He used the seasoned flour left over from breading the cutlets and made a beautiful rue. Somehow, his gravy never has lumps!
I didn’t have the foresight to think of getting fresh green beans when I went to the market earlier in the day. But, we scrounged around in the pantry and found a can of Italian green beans and proceeded to “doctor” them up with bacon, butter, chopped onions and seasoning. Slowly simmered on the stove top, they turned out pretty darn good!
While he was finishing up in the kitchen, I set a super simple table. One of the easiest things I like to do to make a simple meal feel special is light a candle on the table. I do this nearly every evening.
We have a dining table set up between the kitchen and living room where we can watch TV while we eat. Today’s movie selection was “Gone With the Wind” and we sat down just before the intermission started. So, we just enjoyed the music while we ate and talked about the first time we each saw that movie. And, here we are about to start the second act, after intermission.
I am so grateful for being able to work in the kitchen and enjoy our meals together in the evenings. We do this nearly every night, even when we both work during the day. Sometimes, the meal is very simple and not as much prep as this evening’s fare. But, still, we relish that time of sitting together at the end of the day. It’s one of the best things we do as a couple, allowing us time to reconnect and destress at the end of the day. It’s rather an ordinary thing that becomes extraordinary.
Welcome to the porch... 