I promise you, these are a 1000 out of 10.

Let me reassure you… I’m not trying to replace real nachos, which in my humble opinion are as close to a perfect food as you can get, but sometimes, especially in January, you’d like to veer a little more hearty, nutritious, filling….

At the beginning of the street was a restaurant where a train ran through the restaurant (what a delight) and my brother and I would crush, to this day, one of the best meatball subs I’ve ever had.

All that to say - gazpacho is an equal season food, in my books.

It turns into a sweet-salty combination that is positively irresistible, and one that says to guests when they wake up the first morning to find it set out with yogurt and a spoon: Welcome. I’m so very glad you’re here.

Ahi is one of my favorites to make, because it’s so fast - what a metaphor. So easy to overdo. Requires a very light touch.

Looking back, that may have been an early sign of a budding foodie - enamored of a book that told the tale of a young boy who stole away to fill his belly with sun-ripened blueberries, the best and freshest of seasonal fruit.

As I continue on this journey of processing and framing this great loss, knowing that there will only be more to come as life progresses, it’s the idea of turning moments in the kitchen into a celebration that help me smile.

I’d like to suggest something with this recipe - make it for some people you love the most and eat it alongside them. What a wonderful way to spend your life.

What helps a bit is to think about our shared belief that food is love. And our even more shared belief that the best food (fresh, local, seasonal, delicious) is the best love.

Chocolate chip cookies are comfort. Warm, straight from the oven, they’re a salve of easier days past: days before you knew the sharp pain of missing someone who is gone gone, not just far away, not just on a trip, not just a temporary loss.

Music and food have a lot in common, in my opinion - especially in their ability to connect us and in their unique way of representing love.

They should be messy. They should be fun.

“I think of you when I cook, which is to say - always.”