alexander cooks dinner

All week, Alexander has been wanting to make dinner, but it hasn’t worked out. Today it does. 

Early in the day we agree on fish, and Alexander picks up two filets of flounder at the Farmer’s Market.  Neither of us has ever made flounder.  In fact, never of us has ever eaten flounder.  But we want something light and healthy and not too expensive.  Flounder is a low-calorie, low-mercury fish, and costs only $10 for two filets.

I find a simple recipe online for baked flounder.

Before beginning dinner, Alexander needs assurance.  “If I cook, you’ll clean up, right?”  “Yes,“ I tell him.

Around 7:15, Alexander goes to Agata (our local grocery store) to buy fresh rosemary, lemon, white wine, scallions, and mozzarella.  At 8, I’m thinking, dinner should be ready soon.  Instead I hear, “Okay, I’m starting now.”

I take a bath.  Alexander knocks on the door to ask about the scallions.  “Do I need to wash these?”  Yes, I tell him, and then show him which part of the scallion is the best part.

Soon after, Alexander asks how to squeeze the juice out of a lemon.  I suggest cutting it in quarters.

Then the rosemary question.  “Mom, I just cut this up and wash it, right?”  “Right.”  It’s now 8:30.

Next he comes into my bedroom and says, “I don’t understand this part of the recipe.  It says, ‘Crumble a piece of waxed paper.  Put under water and then open paper over the dish.’  I don’t know what that means.  Can you do that?”  I do.

While the fish is cooking, I come in and make a tomato and mozzarella salad, with the fresh bright red heirloom tomatoes I bought today at the same Farmer’s Market that sells fresh fish.   

When the timer goes off, I hear, “Okay, can you check and see if it’s ready?”  We decide it should cook for a couple of more minutes.  “Ok, how do I reset the timer?”

And then, when the fish is finally ready, “Can you put them on plates?”

At 9:06 we sit down to dinner.  By 9:13, Alexander is done.  Everything is delicious.  Alexander wants to cook more often and I’m happy to let him.  

Here's the recipe:

Fillet of flounder (cod or sole)

Scallions

White wine

Lemon juice (1/2 lemon)

Salt and pepper

Rosemary

Parmesan cheese

Spray bottom of glass pan with non-stick spray.

Chop scallions and cover bottom of pan with same.

Place fish in pan so that none of it covers another piece. 

Pour white wine and lemon juice over the fish. Sprinkle salt, pepper,

and rosemary on fish.

Grate fresh Parmesan over the entire fish.

Crumble a piece of waxed paper. Put under water and then open

paper over the dish.

Bake at 400 degrees for 7 minutes.

Take paper off and bake another 5 minutes. Serve.