Living High, Remembering Mom

I ordered a $54 steak. I just wanted to see what real food tasted like. I received confirmation of shipping yesterday afternoon at 4. It was delivered into my very hands this morning at 9:30.

There was a cardboard box. Inside the box, there was a styrofoam cooler just the right size. The steak was inside the cooler, never frozen, surrounded by five cold-packs. No dry ice. Dry ice is 'chemical.' I put the cold-packs in the freezer thinking, if nothing else, they will help me save electricity.

Something in my subconscious motivated me to buy this steak. After I ordered it, I decided it was my birthday dinner. I got tired of acknowledging my birthday many years ago. It's repetitious, and fairly meaningless, and anyway, we don't get a whole year older in one day. My mother always insisted on taking a meal with me on my birthday, though. It was a chance for her to get out of the house, and besides, to her, it was a day worth remembering. I never fought it, although I wonder if at times, I didn't blame her for the fact I was having a birthday in the first place. The last time I saw my mother alive was a year ago, on my birthday.

The steak itself left nothing to be desired. It was free of antibiotics and growth hormones, and was grass fed. It was graded USDA Prime. And, it was dry-aged for three weeks. No credentials on Earth could ensure higher quality.

I'm a fair hand in the kitchen, and I endeavored to do the steak justice. The baked stuffed potato contained only shredded cheddar and unsalted butter. The pencil-thin fresh asparagus were cooked only until bright green, then dressed in fresh lemon juice and Kosher flake salt. The sliced Portabellos were sauteed in EVO oil, butter, and sliced garlic from a local farm stand. The size of the meal was moderate, but the quality was high indeed. I like cooking for myself. The results are always pleasing, when I put my hand to it.

My mother probably never saw a baked stuffed potato in her life. And she thought vegetables came out of a can. She never liked meat very much at all. She would have approved of my meal, though. I did. I may do this again.