Security

Six years ago today, Molly posted this recipe for pasta with onions and butter on her blog, Orangette. At that time I was 23, living in my first apartment of my own and desperately needed recipes that required nothing more than onions and butter because I was so broke. I had a kitchen with a dishwasher, lots of counter space and an orange wall. I kept prosecco in the fridge and vodka in the freezer and almost always had a handful of dried pasta available. I was trying to learn how to be alone.

It's storming here tonight. The baby is sleeping and my husband is out. I've got onions simmering lots of butter and I'm remembering cooking through the  first stormy nights on my own. To me, the smell of onions and butter is its own sense of security. Maybe because it was some of the only security I had in those early, single years. I had a meal coming and Netflix on my laptop to keep out the rain, thunder and lightening. Now I have so much more security- a pantry full of groceries (but no snacks, hence the late night meal) and a husband coming home. But onions and butter still make me happy. And an hour alone, in my kitchen, listening to the rain, is all I need.