Basic eating

Eastside Road, January 22, 2014—

DAY BEFORE YESTERDAY, the 20th, we fasted. Well, we had a few crudités — celery, carrot — and an apple. Basically it was fast day.

Yesterday it was grilled cheese and onion sandwiches, green salad afterward. GC&O is a favorite of mine. Either cheddar or a gruyère-type cheese will do; we used a delicious cheese whose name I cannot provide, as it was left in the fridge by some thoughtful houseguests a couple of weeks ago, without a label. A Comté sort of cheese, I'd say. The onions get sliced thin and are mostly hidden under the cheese; these were on a ciabatta bread. On the side, Romanesco, quickly steamed with a little olive oil.


Today we drove into town for lunch with the neighbor. Pizza? Portuguese? Parish, the little New Orleans-type café, for a muffaletta? Of the three "P"s, we decided on Portugal, and I had those grilled sardines you see up there: sardinhas assadas, grilled whole Monterey Bay sardines with a warm onion cebolada, and a little plate of quite plain, quite nice roasted potato.

Vinho verde, of course

• Café Lucia,, 235 Healdsburg Avenue, Healdsburg, California; (707) 431-1113; lunch & dinner daily

Leaving us needing only a light supper tonight: a hearty thick soup, an apple, a tangerine.