simple

The wooden spoon dragged through the heavy liquid, drawing swirls in its darkening surface and scraping the metal pan beneath, whooshing out its dull song as it constantly shifted the sauce around the pan. The pale, flowing liquid had already turned into thick, brown concoction that was too heavy for the bubbles trying to boil through it’s surface, leaving them to struggle through and then burst in relief after a long trudge through the muck.

She dipped her finger and tasted the sauce that clung to its tip, the deep garlicky flavor balanced well in the salty buttery folds, and the silky texture was just soft enough to compliment the pork chop that was resting on the counter, cooking to perfection while trapping in its juicy moisture. She plated the chop and drizzled the sauce slowly over it, spiraling away from the meat to create a flawless design on the clean, white china.

She scraped the remaining saute pan across the flaming burner, flicking it up and back, watching the bright green stalks fly and spin before returning with a sizzle. The stalks glistened as she sprayed more vinaigrette on them, highlighting the perfectly blackened edges. Finding that they had softened enough to be eaten while still emitting that satisfying crunch, she laid them alongside the chop and finished the look with a rosy flower picked from the garden out back specifically for the occasion.

She handed the plate off to be paired with the perfect wine, a deep red dry enough to prepare the palate for the juices of the pork chop, rich enough to compliment the sauce.

She worked for hours, sculpting plate after plate of elegant dinners, until finally the last guests left, the fires of the stove were extinguished and the lights flickered off.

She pulled off her hat and coat and slumped into the cold night air, off to find the perfect dinner for herself.

It wasn’t about the cost and it wasn’t about the atmosphere, it was about the crinkle of the paper as she peeled it back from the lukewarm burger, the thin tasteless meat and the satisfaction of being full after another long shift in the kitchen.