My Top Five

As Joy’s carnivorous husband, I am often asked how I put up with all that healthy vegetarian food coming out of our kitchen. (It’s my kitchen, too!)

Here are the top five reasons, in no particular order, based on our last 15 years together.

1. Onions (and garlic) sautéing in olive oil. This seems to be step one in a lot of her dishes, and I’m often greeted with this wonderful aroma when walking in the door. My brain knows what it is, but nevertheless my mouth always does a little fist pump and then asks “what’s cooking”, because I know I’ll love it. It’s a no-brainer.

2. Feta Cheese. My momma never feta me this when I was a kid. Now, I find that I love virtually ever dish, hot or cold, that has it. We get it from the Greek stand at the Hollywood Farmer’s Market.

3. Asparagus Risotto. I never knew what risotto was until I was in my thirties, believe it or not. But I sure do now. Having had it in restaurants, I can tell you that Joy’s vegetable stock is the secret to a good risotto.

4. Tomatoes and Basil. Like with the onions, this is a smell that will immediately conjure all the best sensory memories of marinara sauce, pizza, or pasta with pesto. We can pick both from our garden, and I love the smell of the fresh picked herbs as it intertwines with the more subtle tomato scent.

5. Potatoes. To me, this is the perennial comfort food. Joy can make curry or roasted root vegetables or exotic soups, and if I know my old friend Mister Potato is in there, I know I’m going to be happy.