And then I remembered.

I thought I might write a cook book titled: Think Like a Chef but it's already been done. And I don't really think like a chef. I think like a cook and a kitchen manager. I'm not trying to show off. I'm trying to get it done with a minimum of waste.

Recently I decided I wanted to make ice cream. I have a not particularly good ice cream machine. I got it years ago, made a few batches and then it got put on a shelf. I had to wash off years of dust. I was a little dismayed by the number of egg yolks in most recipes. What was I gonna do with the whites? I don't like egg white omelets. They seem denatured. Or something. I could make macaroons.

Anyway.

There's not much more to say about the ice cream. I forgot how quickly milk boils over. I made a huge mess. The final product is good enough but slightly grainy on the tongue. Debbie says this is because my machine is as bad as I think it is and I'm not getting enough air whipped in. She suggests making the base a day ahead and making sure it's really cold.

Next time.

And. I bought too much whipping cream. I'd seen a few recipes, thought I knew what I needed and went shopping without a list. And. I don't really like whipped cream. There times when I like it. I like it on ginger bread. Especially warm ginger bread. I like it on strawberry shortcake, which I make with biscuits. So now it's Easter and I decide to make myself some strawberry short cake for desert. It wasn't a perfect solution because I'd have left overs and be eating it for a few days and I have the afore mentioned ice cream. And I'd lolled away the morning playing games and listening to the Sunday news talk. Then I did laundry.

I've tossed together a batch of biscuits so many times and so quickly. But I was tired and still had laundry to fold and a bed to make and I wanted to get it done. Dinner. I wanted to get it done.

I sort of badgered myself about how I'd make the biscuits if there was someone else here and I should take care of myself. But I was hungry and getting tired.

And then I remembered. When you make biscuits with cream they become scones. Hmmm.

Easter dinner.

Thin cut pork chop, smashed Yukon Golds and watercress, asparagus, spring onion salad with artichoke dressing. Glass of Cab. Ice cream.

Macaroons and scones coming soon. No waste. Lots of taste.

Green

Last week I saw the first peas. There weren't many and they were kind of flat but I picked through and found what ended up to be about a third of a cup. Peas still make me so happy.

Since Mom was here I've taken to buying a one pound box of baby spinach almost every week. She loves it.

So dinner time arrived and I was cooking up a spring onion and some crimini, which I planned to put on pasta. I had some chicken stock out and I was cooking I realized I didn't want pasta. It's hot here and my appetite isn't big. I poured enough stock in the pan to call it soup. I did toss in a small amount of Fregula, the peas and some spinach.

It's so green. It screams spring.