Yesterday I mixed white beans, tuna and artichokes with a bit of lemon juice, olive oil and pepper. I consulted with my brilliant friend Kate, and today I re-made the salad with the addition of parsley, cherry tomatoes, capers, a vinaigrette, more pepper, greens, and toasted bread with really good butter.

I am a great cook. I can parse out a recipe and tell you whether it will be good or bad, what it might taste like, whether I’ll like it. I can build on recipes and get inspiration from cookbooks and cook a top-notch meal. But Kate. Kate can create something from nothing. Kate can look in her fridge and pantry and make a fantastic meal from the end of a loaf of bread, a half-box of pasta, and some old, shriveled mushrooms. Kate is an artist in the kitchen; I am more of a craftswoman. I suppose each has its benefits, but I so enjoy learning tidbits of art from Kate.

In other news, this. And this. And this.♥