Those of you who are old enough to have seen the 1960 movie with Melina Mercouri might remember that the protagonist – Ilya – never worked on Sundays. Besides her line of business – for decency’s sake, I won’t go into the details of Ilya’s profession – I’ve always loved the independent female character that she portrayed and I’ve adopted her motto.
Sunday must be different. I call it my no-rule day, when I feel entitled to break from the routine and do something special.
My favorite meal being breakfast, I might cook brunch if I’m at home, but my kitchen is absolutely and unquestionably closed on Sunday nights.
“Never on Sunday” I remind to whoever asks what’s for dinner, usually my perplexed husband who hasn’t yet adjusted to this whim of mine. But as son as he remembers that it means Leftovers Night, he brightens up because he loves the potpourri of food that comes out of our refrigerator: a couple of salmon cakes, some raw vegetables from last night appetizer (that we can eat with our home-made mayonnaise), a few steamed asparagus, the last slice of nettles frittata from Friday’s dinner, and a tablespoon of saffron risotto. In just minutes, we have a Tapas Dinner. Everybody is happy and the refrigerator is finally cleared out of all those little containers that were cramming it.
So here is my advice: cook an extra portion (especially soups), don’t throw away good food and, if you don’t have enough leftovers when you don’t feel like cooking, just make a small salad (this doesn’t qualify as “cooking”), slice an avocado or thaw some frozen soup to complete your meal.
And remember: taking a break is not only rightful and healthy, but also an incentive to go back to your tasks with renewed energy and more enthusiasm.
Have a wonderful no-rule Sunday!