It was a pleasant week, in general, cookwise. I was incredibly hungry for pasta with sausage and found two packages of sausage in the freezer ‑ one sweet, the other hot. So I made my marinara with two 28-ounce cans of Muir Glen tomatoes, garlic, onions, salt, vodka and enough heavy cream to turn it coral color, nuked the sausages until done, and added it to the sauce.

But, sometimes when I am making something that takes an hour or so, just the cooking makes me less hungry. So I took all of the sauce, poured it into three plastic bowls and froze it.

At that time, I just wanted a tuna sandwich, so that became dinner, instead. Odd, yes, but doesn’t that happen to you, too? Toward the end of the week, I baked because I had meetings, one on a Sunday afternoon, where something sweet might make the meeting pleasant.

Then it was Oscar night, and friends had invited me to dinner and to watch. Sue and Karen made a yummy pot roast in their Instant Pot and we dined on that with egg noodles, delicious thin green beans they grew in their garden, then froze for the winter, fresh buttered bread and a vegetable medley another friend brought. We ate my chocolate cake along with ice cream about halfway through the awards show.

All went well, of course, until “Parasite” won the Oscar. Sorry, hate me, but I loathed that movie.

The next day, I made the dish below. I had a pretty pork tenderloin in the fridge, and used it instead of chicken. There was frozen broccoli in the freezer, and I knew that would be as good as broccolini. I cut the tenderloin into slices, and the broccoli worked just fine. I don’t think it will feed six hungry people but it would certainly feed four.

Greek Chicken and Potatoes

From “Real Simple,” February, 2020

Serves 6

3 lemons

6 cloves of garlic, smashed

3 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves

1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 3½- to 4-pound whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces

1 pound small red potatoes, quartered

1 large red onion, cut into ½-inch wedges

1 tablespoon kosher salt, divided

1 pound broccolini, trimmed

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Squeeze juice from two lemons to equal 1/3 cup, add to a large bowl, Cut remaining lemon into wedges and add to the bowl along with garlic, oregano and 1/3 cup oil. Add chicken, spooning marinade over chicken; let sit for about 15 minutes.

Toss together potatoes, onions, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon of oil into a large bowl. Transfer to a large baking sheet and roast until just beginning to brown, 10 to 15 minutes.

Toss together broccolini and remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large bowl. Transfer to baking sheet with potatoes and toss to combine. Using tongs, arrange chicken mixture on baking sheet in a single layer. Discard marinade, then season with pepper and remaining 2 teaspoons salt. Bake until chicken is cooked through and broccolini is browned, about 30 minutes.

On the Side

My friend Lisa lives in Westchester County, works in New York City and comes to Madison most weekends. With a free Friday in Madison, she asked about having lunch somewhere, then realized she didn't have a car, so I drove down and we ate at Elizabeth's.

We are always on a diet (who isn't?). Lisa chose a piece of salmon and salad, while I ordered a steak salad. How could I know it would be one of the best salads ever: a heap of arugula, very rare steak (which I asked for), just a few thinly sliced roasted potatoes, warmed tomatoes and red peppers all bathed in perfect balsamic vinaigrette? Heaven.

Elizabeth Café885 Boston Post Road, Madison(203) 245-0250

Lee White lives in Groton. She can be reached at leeawhite@aol.com.