I generally don’t think of myself as someone who cooks a lot, or as a particularly good cook. I just like eating home-cooked meals. I don’t mind taking a little time at the end of the day to put ingredients together on the stove or in the oven.
But when I talk to friends and family about cooking, I realize that my household is a bit unusual. Things like lemons, garlic cloves, fresh herbs, and eggplants are everyday items in our kitchen. A whole chicken for roasting makes nearly a weekly appearance. And leftovers often find themselves reworked into a new dish instead of just reheated.
So when I found myself looking for something to eat tonight, I pulled out the leftover roast chicken; sliced some onion, garlic, and mushrooms; chopped a handful of parsley; and tossed it with udon noodles and soy sauce. Nothing fancy, in my mind — just a quick dinner for one.
