i realized that i have not made any really complicated meals in a long time. nothing involving a roux, or meringue or anything that involves more than ten minutes prep time. it has to do, i think, with the fact that i get home from work at 6pm and prefer to eat earlier than 10pm. and in the summer, weekends are busy and its too hot to spend all day in the (non-airconditioned) kitchen. so, i look forward to fall and winter, when i can really get cooking. er, not that i necessarily will, but its always nice to think about.

and speaking of complicated dishes, tonight i went with friends to Lucky Kebab and Nehari House, the Indo-Pak place three blocks from my house. There certainly is something to be said for the $3.50 aloo bindi. You just can't beat the way the grease oozes out of the naan and dribbles down your hand when you scoop up the soggy potatoes and okra.

Cheap meat is scary. Vegetarian food, no matter how cheap, does not have that same element of fear. And while, I suppose, some people embrace the risk inherent in eating the $2.00 mystery beef special at your local dive (ecoli is fun!), i'm glad that the potentially fatal health consequences aren't there when i eat the $3.00 vegetarian roll at Lucky Kebab.