details, details

It's the little things that matter -- life's pleasures reside, always, in the details. Cinnamon-scented pancakes, yellow flowers, sunlight on wood floors in the afternoon, somebody holds you. When I was 12 years old I had a writing teacher who came to my house every week. What I recall now is the carpet (dusty blue), the way her lip gloss gathered in the peaks of her upper lip, the unconscious gesture of her right hand, hovering mild and pale around her throat, while she read. She passed away when I was 17 from a long-term genetic illness that I never knew she had. It's been years since then, and those are the things I remember.

A poem she wrote is hanging from my wall. In it she says, "Apres moi the void. Before moi, too. Right now yellow tulips."

Turmeric-Roasted Chickpeas

You Will Need:

1 can of garbonzo beans
turmeric, salt, pepper to taste
2 tbsb olive oil

To Make:

Place the olive oil in a skillet over med-high heat. Once the liquid is hot, dump in the chickpeas. They should snap and crackle immediately. Give the pan a few shakes to roll the chickpeas in the oil, making sure they are thoroughly coated. Add salt, pepper and turmeric to taste. The chickpeas should turn a nice, rusty color. Cook until golden brown and slightly cracked -- five to eight minutes.

Remove from heat and serve over whatever you like. I ate mine with stewed grain/onion over tortillas (what can i say, it's been a "leftovers" kind of week.)