COULD IT BE TRUE, what my parents said as they walked through the door? That today was the first time they came to visit when no one else was around? That it was the first time we had a meal in my home, just the three of us together? This seems impossible. Yet while I can produce memories of one or the other of my parents talking with me from the comfort of the big easy chair near the bookcase, just us in the apartment, it’s true that both of them together . . . Well, I have no solid memory of the two of them as guests here, unless my son or husband or a larger group was also present. We’ve been in our current apartment two years now, so I’ll have to search back farther than that to find such an intimate Parker-family gathering as we had this afternoon. Since my son was born, nearly seven years ago?

One thing is clear: we’ll have to do this more often. At least once a year—maybe as a new tradition for my father’s birthday. But, really, any ordinary day will do. What good is it to wait for some festive occasion, when time spent in each other’s company is already rare? That’s like having good dishes and keeping them in the cupboard, saving them up for something special, when the something special can be found in the course of daily life. Plus, spending time together can itself can create a celebration where none was expected. Why not have more of that?

It’s late, and I’m tired. I promise to write up recipes soon, and when I do I’ll fill in the links on this post so you can find them easily. For now, I just want to take a final opportunity to wish my dad a very happy birthday, and to share the menu and some photographs. Cheers, Dad, to another birth year; I hope it’s the best one yet.

Dad’s Birthday Meal 2010

Spicy Tomato and Blue Cheese Soup (link to Leite’s Culinaria)

Cornbread Croutons

Leek, Lemon, and Feta Quiche

Wild Arugula Salad with Pomegranate Molasses Vinaigrette

Crispy Pear and Cherry Crisp with Licorice Ice Cream

[And for those of you who are curious, inside the wrapped package shown at the top of this post were three bars of artisanal glycerin soap with mastiha, from the MastihaShop. See this post for a hint of what mastiha is and how to bake it into some of the best brownies ever.]