I’m feeling a little the worse for wear today, and I’m going to tell you why. It all started when a friend of ours invited us to their chalet in the south of France. Of course we flew over for the weekend, staying up till all hours drinking wine from their vineyards. On the way home we stopped in Barcelona to shoot a few scenes of a friend’s film and drink some robust riojas in the rooftop garden of their streamlined city loft. So, you know, what with the jet lag and the late nights… I’m lying, of course. I’m tired because waitressing is really hard work, and we were so busy this weekend that it made my head spin, and my head continued to spin after I’d gone to bed, and I lay half-awake waiting tables in my head all night long. And I threw my back out during the week, which made waitressing that little bit harder and more painful than usual. And that’s the unglamorous truth.
The other day, as I waited on a large party, I said “Can I get you anything else?” as waitresses do, and one woman replied “Do you have a million dollars?” And I laughed and said, “If I did, I wouldn’t be here!” But I thought about it, as the day progressed, and I’m not sure that’s true. The thing is, as strange as it may sound, I like waiting tables. Maybe I would stay on one or two days a week, even if I had a million dollars. A manager I worked with for a few years used to joke that she wasn’t in it for the money, she just wanted to keep “the common touch.” And there’s something to that… eating is something we all do, we have that in common, and it’s pleasant to see people in this way. I like this chance to talk to complete strangers, and learn a little bit about their lives. I like when they become regulars instead of complete strangers, and they’re glad to see me week after week. I like this way of almost being friends, but in a completely different sphere of life–in a way that none of my actual friends ever sees me. I like to be good at something, and I’m good at waiting tables, which is an incredibly complex and physically demanding job. I’m proud of that. I like the feeling of comradery you get from working with other people, that sort of backstage feeling you get from being part of the process of creating a meal for someone. So maybe I would stay on for a shift now and then, even if I had a million dollars. It might make a nice change from our trips to the rooftops of Barcelona.

These potatoes are so simple I feel almost foolish telling you about them. Except that they were so tasty! And they’re perfect for spring, which is finally making an appearance around here. I boiled some new potatoes for a few minutes, until they were just starting to soften, and then…I cut each one with an apple corer! Just a little bit, not all the way through–about three-quarters of the way down. This made them pretty, with a round central portion and petals on the side, and then I drizzled olive oil and herbs on them, and then I roasted them till they were nicely cripsy. And that was that! I used dry sage, because nothing is growing in my garden yet, but as the season progresses, I’ll try this again with fresh herbs – rosemary, tarragon, basil, thyme. The possibilities are endless!

Here’s Hotter Scorcher by Sweet Confusion, in honor of the warmth of the day, and because I think it’s the sweetest song!

A quantity of tiny new potatoes, scrubbed. 4 or 5 per person should do it.
a few tablespoons of olive oil – enough to lightly coat the potatoes
a mix of herbs that you like, chopped quite fine
salt and plenty of freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 425.

Drop the potatoes in a pot of boiling water, and leave them for about 5 minutes. You want them to still be quite firm. Drain, let cool to the point that you can handle them. If you have an apple corer, press down on each potato, cutting about 3/4 of the way through. If you don’t, cut 4 or 5 slices around each potato with a sharp knife, leaving everything attached at the bottom like petals.

Combine the olive oil and herbs, and drizzle this mixture over the potatoes, letting it seep into the cuts you’ve made.

Roast for 30 to 35 mintues, until everything is browned and crispy. Shake the pan from time to time so that they potatoes don’t stick.