Tonight’s dinner for one:

–Lamb sausage with fennel seeds, kalamata olives, artichoke hearts, and feta, seared all nice and golden and shiny in my beloved Wagner 9” cast-iron skillet

–Salad with baby lettuces from last Saturday’s market, shaved fennel, and thinly sliced cukes, dressed with mustard vinaigrette

–Tall Grass Bakery pain au levain

–And for dessert: 85% dark from Paris, along with some honey grahams dipped in milk

Oh, meat meat meat. Maybe it’s because I was delirious with hunger, but I don’t think so: that sausage, dear heart, was nothing short of rapturous. So juicy, so earthy, delicately tinged with anise, shot through with melty feta. I actually exclaimed “Oh my God!” aloud, and I may have moaned a couple of times. As if that weren’t enough, I noticed that the very nice meat man at Whole Foods mismarked it—hmm, intentional or no?—as corned beef, so I only paid $1.19! Oh Mr. Meat Man, my wallet and I love you so. Oh, meat!