Memorable Dinners

I had a bowl of Cheerios and cheese toast for dinner last night. It was good. Mostly because I didn't have to think, shop, cook (much) and clean up a truckload of dishes.

When the kids were little and I would ask them what they wanted for dinner, they would often say, "Snack dinner!" That meant Ritz crackers, cheese, deli meats cut up in little squares to fit on the crackers, various veggies to dip in Ranch dressing, pickles, etc. They loved it!

I remember for my birthday one year my brother-in-law asked me where he could take me to dinner. I said, "I would like for you to come to my house and make an egg sandwich for me and let's watch old 'I Love Lucy' episodes." It was the best egg sandwich I ever had.

More recently while visiting the in-laws there was discussion about what to do for dinner. After having a large lunch, everyone seemed to be more interested in raiding the refrigerator later than laying out a big spread so we left the planning alone. Later, sitting around the table laughing and talking, someone pulled out a bag of pretzels, then a bag of potato chips, then the Manchego cheese and the Spanish jamon, crackers, anchovy stuffed olives, piquillo peppers. It was a great, memorable, spontaneous dinner. (Of course there was aforethought in having those great items on hand - had we been at my house it would have been deli ham, ritz cracker and sweet gherkins.)

I remember watching an episode of "The Barefoot Contessa" and Ina Garten told about one of her most memorable meals sitting beside a river in France with her husband eating crunchy bread, fresh tomatoes, cheese and wine. And this is a woman whose career it is to inspire and educate us to cook fabulous meals. I think that says a lot about simplicity.

So my cereal dinners, sandwich dinners and snack dinners don't seem so bad after all.