This is what recipes are: stories of pretend meals. Don�t be fooled by the fact that they are written in the imperative tense (pick the basil leaves, peel the onion). Yes, you might do that tomorrow, but right now, you are doing something else. As you read, your head drowsily on the pillow, there is no onion, but you watch yourself peel it in your mind�s eye, tugging off the papery skin and noting with satisfaction that you have not damaged the layers underneath.
