Photo: Ditte Isager

As I live alone and eat at home most nights, I approach cooking in a honed down, almost monastic way. I like a balanced meal that tells me I'm okay even without company or conversation.

The ideal meal for me...I stop here to say that cooking relies on one basic rule: the quality of the ingredients. That said, my ideal meal is a boneless rib-eye steak (seasoned with granulated garlic, sea salt, and a mixture of red and black pepper) broiled to medium. I toss a salad of Bibb lettuce with a dressing of olive oil, red vinegar, crushed garlic, coarse ground black pepper, crumbled Gorgonzola cheese, and a tablespoon of port wine. For a vegetable I mince six or seven heads of brussels sprouts and a shallot or two. These I sauté in Irish butter until the greens are almost cooked through. Then I sprinkle in a little soy sauce, cover the pan, and let it simmer for a few minutes. (If there isn't enough liquid in the pan, I might drizzle in a little water to keep the dish from burning.)

Since I'm cutting down on the carbs these days, this is the meal I'd make. But if I'm feeling especially in need of spiritual sustenance, I might add a little basmati rice with sautéed shiitaki mushrooms. And for dessert I'd prepare panna cotta (cooked cream with very little sugar).

Walter Mosley's most recent novel, The Long Fall (Riverhead), was published in March.


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