Food is sometimes better simple

These concoctions seemed just right for pleasing my husband. He loves Italian food, and almost every recipe contained meat. Success seemed assured.

My first experiment: lemony meatballs with orzo.

If you use cookbooks, you know the fundamental lie. Preparation time is always underestimated. This makes you believe the process will be a snap. Lemony meatballs with orzo claimed a 35-minute prep time. It took at least that long just to measure the ingredients.

An hour into the process my stepdaughter called. I explained the whirlwind in the kitchen.

“Orzo?” she asked. “Dad would probably rather have spaghetti.”

“No,” I assured her. “This looks delicious. He’ll love it.”

After spending an hour and a half forming meatballs, rolling them in flour, frying them in olive oil, and adding wine, water and orzo, I was tired. I tossed the plans for a salad.

My husband, at a meeting in Howard County, called as he wrapped things up. He seemed happy to know he was coming home to a good hot meal.

When he arrived, we sat down to eat. He looked with suspicion at his plate.

“What is this?” he asked.

“Orzo,” I answered.

“I’d rather have spaghetti,” he said.

He took a bite.

“There’s something in it. Some spice,” he said.

“Rosemary. It’s rosemary.”

“I don’t think I like rosemary.”

Long story short, his dinner went down the disposal. I threw a bagel in the toaster oven and served it with cheese and tomato. You would have thought it was filet mignon. He loved it.

Well, Claire Booth Luce said no good deed goes unpunished. Clearly, she was right. I don’t know who said, “The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.” But apparently that’s true as well. If all it takes to get to his heart is cheese on a bagel, or a tuna sandwich served on a paper towel, just be glad the trip is uncomplicated. No one promised it would be gourmet.

Deborah Stone spent 15 years as a reporter and anchor at WJZ-TV and is currently a freelance writer.