Cooking Lesson

Cooking Lesson

I was with Brian, a young man that was soon to die in a hang-glider accident.

We were in a wilder part of the north coast of California among the redwoods but within hearing distance of the Pacific. It was a warm summer night. He was cooking some steaks over a small campfire and had invited me to join he and his dog for a barbecue.

I was new to the scene and I had not often cooked meat outdoors myself.

When the fire had died to the red-hot charcoals, he put his steak on the iron grill and tended it carefully until it seemed to satisfy him and then handed me a piece of meat so I could do the same.

I put the meat on the grill and watched it as I had seen him do--then I asked him when it would be ready to eat.

“You’re the one that’s going to eat it.” He said.

(SOUND OF A GONG!)

Now I always cook everything the way I like it so at least one person is satisfied.

Tomasito, 2008

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