It has been long, too long, since I cooked a full and thoughtful meal for T and me. Tired after travel on Saturday, I agreed to ordering in Indian. Last night, we grilled a pizza, per our Sunday tradition.

But today, I contemplated dinner for hours, and while I exercised, marketed, cleaned and organized, I considered what would best pair with what based on the main I'd chosen from an underutilized cookbook: David Lebovitz's My Paris Kitchen.

Lebovitz's chicken with mustard sauce sounds basic, possibly even banal, but it is anything but. It is a perfect recipe really, with no superfluous ingredients. I'm quite certain it'd be delicious with standard chicken and mustard, dried thyme and average wine, but if you go just a bit above and beyond -best-quality chicken, French mustard, fresh thyme, wine so lovely you almost hate to deglaze the pan with it- you will be richly rewarded. The sauce alone could be slathered atop dirt and still be well received.

David Leibovitz's Chicken with Mustard Sauce (from My Paris Kitchen) — David Leibovitz's Chicken with Mustard Sauce (from *My Paris Kitchen*)

I saw, today at the market, one of my favorite fresh pastas: spring pea tortelloni. Wouldn't that be lovely alongside the chicken? Yes! And how about some sautéed snow peas too? Indeed. I tossed both (cooked separately of course) with lemony brown butter and mint, white pepper and salt, and they served as hearty and light and healthy accompaniments respectively.

For dessert, a lemon-lime glazed cake. Refreshing, summery and the perfect fit for my new cake stand, a beautiful piece I've been coveting for some time. I bought it with some of the money I made from my last canning class. It is such a delight to earn my own money and spend it on small extravagances for myself and others.