Simple Pleasures: Dinner with Mom

Fey and I love eating out. But there are some realities that even we cannot avoid. The main one is we are not wealthy. Inevitably, we must eat at home.

For me, eating at home is not such a sacrifice (except the dishes part) because Fey is a phenomenal cook. Her dad was a chef who trained in Paris and ran the Non-Commissioned Officer's Club at a major Army base. The genetic predisposition was obviously passed down, and my partner is a great cook even without formal training.

While her mom is a good cook too, she is hampered by a significant other who only likes...shoot me, please...country food. I'm not talking that delicious, wholesome, fresh country food that makes you happy to be alive, that reconnects you with your roots and reality. He likes The Other Country Food--you know, cafeteria specials, bland meats and gravy, vegetables over-cooked to the point of brutality, lots of butter and fats, and...oh, this is important...no flavor.

Fey's mom is a frequent companion on our restaurant escapades and has a healthy appreciation for fine food. Every once in a while, she can't stand it and has to share a favorite recipe with a receptive, appreciative audience.

We are that audience.

So last night, Mom packed up her groceries and spices and bottle of extra virgin olive oil and schlepped it over to our place to make us dinner. Her recipe? Grilled Salmon with Rosemary from The South Beach Diet Cookbook.

We don't have an option to grill at our place, so she broiled the salmon. Either way, it was fantastic--appropriately seasoned, moist, and less than 250 calories a serving. She also made rice and vegetables and cut up some English cucumbers for a side. It was simple, healthy, and ultimately delicious.

The best part, of course, was that we got to spend time with Fey's mom, just hanging out and talking and eating. It cost us nothing but a sink of dirty dishes and an hour or two of our time, but it was one of the best meals we had in a while.

Now...if I can only figure out a way to get my mom up from South Louisiana for a visit. Mmmmm....red beans and rice....