Popcorn. (mashed potato)

If one is to place individuals in different categories, one category should be choice of popcorn. Method of preparation. I'm partial to butter, salt, and brewer's yeast. I usually just stick with the first two, since the yeast just falls off and collects at the bottom of the bowl. But sometimes I come back to it. B vitamins. Should keep it around in case a vegan comes by, seeking gravy. Good with a glass of tequila while re-reading one of William Gibson's novels. Something about the shape of the internet, or trying to predict the future as it was seen through his eyes in the 1980s.

Old Bay seasoning isn't a bad way to go, either. Accompanied by a glass of red wine and a roaring fire. Or simply a freezing cold house and decent company. Or company that you're stuck with for the weekend at someone's summer house in michigan, but it's December.

A pig-farming man brought some popcorn by my aunt's house once. He placed the entire cob in the microwave. She was 42 at the time, and hadn't seen this man for 27 years. or 30. But she'd spoken of him, if the alcohol was flowing. Into her mouth. He was the love of her life, a Nebraska boy whom she'd spent a few days with, traveling through the west, during her childhood.

In a high school, world history class, we were visited by an archaeologist. She told us of her work in Egypt, digging up bones and things. She said nights could get boring out there, at the dig. She felt a need to keep things interesting for her group. "One night, we'll have a bottle of vodka. One night, we'll have popcorn." Puzzling why she chose to share this detail with a bunch of 15 year olds. It would be a nother couple of years before I couldn't get through a boring night without popcorn and vodka.

Sandwich conversation: Ribeye with Broccolini

Ribeye and Broccolini

makes 2 sandwiches

You will need:

1 ribeye steak, 6-8oz, depending on how much meat you desire

2 rolls, or sliced bread ciabatta or similar

1/2 medium red onion, sliced thinly

1/3 pound broccolini florets- or broccoli raab

2 or more garlic cloves, chopped

1-3 oz cheese, sliced, mozzarella or provolone

1 lemon

kosher salt

freshly ground pepper

mayonnaise

sambal

olive oil

Method:

1. Season your ribeye with salt and pepper. As per David Chang's philosophy: "like you would a New York sidewalk in the wintertime." If you are thinking ahead, salt your steak the night before.

2. Heat up a pan on the stovetop. If your steak has a thick fat streak, sear that off first. Try to balance the steak on its side in the pan and turn the heat down to medium and just let the fat crisp up while you're gathering the other ingredients. Then sear the steak on each side for a minute or two. You want to get a nice color on the meat, but take care not to turn it up too high or you can risk burning up your beautiful meat juices. The idea is to cook the meat quickly but not too much.

You don't want to overcook the meat--if it turns out to be too rare for your taste, you can always throw it back in the pan or under the broiler after slicing it later.

After you have good color and crisp fatty edges, take the meat out and let it rest on a plate for 10-15 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, have a pot of salted water boiling. Take your broccolini and cut 1/2-1 inch off of the stems if they seem too woody. If broccolini is thick, take a small paring knife and cut in half, lengthwise.

Drop the broccolini in boiling water and let cook for 3-5 minutes, or until bright green. Take a stem out and bite it to see if it's tender enough. When done, remove broccolini and place in a bowl.

4.Take the pan that was used to cook the steak, and return to medium heat. Add a bit of olive oil, garlic, and half of your sliced onion. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Take your sliced roll or bread slices and lay on top of the garlic and onion. Cut side down. Press bread gently down onto pan, using pan lid or plate. Allow to toast over medium heat for ~5 minutes or until you've achieved a good color on the bread.

5. Place other half of onion slices in a small bowl. Squeeze juice from one half of lemon onto onion slices.

6. After bread is nicely toasted, remove from pan. Take a spatula to scrape up garlic and onions that may have adhered to the pan, and distribute on the bread.

7. Place the steak on a cutting board and cut into thin slices. Lay meat on top of the bread, and top with broccolini. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper. Top with sliced cheese, if desired. Place open sandwiches under broiler or in toaster oven until cheese melts. Remove from broiler, place on plate.

At this time, garnish sandwich with mayonnaise, sambal, and onions soaked in lemon juice. Serve with a lemon wedge. Try not to get angry if someone insists on using ketchup as a condiment.

Notes on this recipe:

Forgive me for being vague about quantities of salt, cheese, etc. I recommend adding a bit of salt and pepper along the way for good flavor throughout the sandwich, and kosher salt is always easy to use because you can just grab it with your fingertips.

This is mainly a concept combining a nice bit of meat, toasted bread, a green vegetable- all seasoned with lemon juice, salt, and a bit of sambal and some melted cheese.

This sandwich was inspired by one I made over the summer. I was taking care of a relative who was undergoing a medical procedure. At the time, he was on a low sodium, low potassium diet. The guidelines for a low potassium diet are somewhat confounding, because everything contains some potassium.

A typical conversation regarding dinner.

"I want a meatball sandwich"

-You can't eat marinara sauce.

"Subway has a steak sandwich"

-No, you should not eat at Subway.

"I keep losing weight. soon I am going to weigh ten pounds."

-You can eat a steak sandwich, just not a sandwich with marinara sauce on it.

"I need a list of foods I can eat."

-Well, you can't eat marinara sauce, subway sandwiches, bananas, papaya, tostones,

beans, potato chips, french fries. But there are plenty of foods you can eat.

"what kind of beans can I eat. I've always been told beans are good for you."

-You can eat a small amount of beans, and as much rice as you want.

"No exotic, wild rice or whatever you call it."