COOKED: Sauteed Zucchini With Poached Egg Or No Worries, That Crunching Sound You Hear, It's Only Coming From That There Pile Of Books

Sometimes I think so much about myself that I forget that other people like to eat. Or, more specifically, other things like to eat. As in my homework. As in me... alive. My homework likes to eat me alive, chewing the fatty pieces extra hard, just for the fun of it. I knew there was a reason why this semester has been so hard. It's because the damned homework fights back, it rebels just as much as I do. And it's no case of "opposites attract". And, well, so far the only thing feverish about this spring is the damn cold that's been circulating since the fall... so even that's nothing new. Here's something new. And spicy. And So Damn Fine You May Blow... Up. Or A Haystack, If That's How You Swing. Want to know what I ingested yesterday? Start with super hot oil in a skillet, toss in either the a) pinch, b) thumbful, c) fistful of hot pepper flakes that ye old tongue desires. I chose option "c" and while my pain receptors regretted it MY TASTE-BUDS REJOICED IN THE MERRY LAND THAT IS HEAT. They were decked out in bikinis (at first, I've been sworn to secrecy about the later whereabouts of my... taste-buds'... clothing... Oh, intrigue!) But, I digress. So, let the hot oil work its magic on said peppers flakes, and have ready to toss in whatever vegetables you want. I only wanted zucchini (and scallions...and ginger). Let them do their thang, getting some color on one side, shaking them to the other, do it again, do it again! Meanwhile, you've got a lovely egg poaching away on a companion burner. I must admit, I've never been a fan of poached eggs until recently. I'm not quite sure what changed, but thank god it did, because a poached egg, no matter how funny its boiling water may get, is just good. Wholesome. She bang, she bang, I go crazy! wholesome, the good for the family type. Hey, so you've got this whole dish put together, yeah? Don't forget a squeeze of lime juice. I mean, if you don't do it... your sad, sad tears that will begin a'dripping will not suffice as a condiment. I speak from experience.

Chow, Lucia