Cooking Journal - January

 I love to set a table for dining.  I like dishes and linens (and have more of them than is reasonable or necessary in my small home); I like the look of my antique farm table when it’s set for daily supper; I like sitting down to eat a homemade meal in the dining room.  I’m a good cook and over the years I’ve learned to make elaborate and time-consuming dishes for weekend dining.  But I’m just as likely to put a tasty supper on the table at the end of a busy work day.  I am grateful for both skills; cooking is one of the main ways that I care for myself and my family. 

When T and I were together, she preferred to eat while watching television.  But for the occasional Friday night pizza and a movie, I found this habit appalling.  But I told myself that relationships are about compromise and I ate in front of the TV.  In the months since we parted, I am also able to recognize that it was easier to eat on a TV tray than deal with the passive aggression that would greet a meal served at the table. That is - perhaps - a story for another day.

Since T departed, meals are now served at the dining room table.  I’ve made quite a few new recipes as well, which is also a source of pleasure to me.  I gave myself Jen Hatmaker’s, “Feed These People” for my birthday and so far every recipe I’ve made from the cookbook has been a winner.  That is certainly the case for this pork banh mi sandwich that has become a delicious favorite. 

It’s easy to make and smells amazing.  It’s as good in leftover form as it is when served fresh, thanks to the pickled veg served on top.  Most of the work to make it comes together in the morning (or even the night before) and that is also pleasing, as it sets me up for a quick meal to be on the table on a busy night.  Home-cooked meals served on a nicely set table are one of the easiest pleasures in life and that’s happy, indeed.