We lived in a college apartment, 
two kids knowing nothing except
this was where we started.

Mix parmesan cheese
in a bowl with chili powder,
black pepper, Italian seasoning.

The bare waste of furniture, 
mattress and boxspring on the floor,
and the tiny galley kitchen
we somehow produced meals from.

Chicken breasts,
wet under the faucet,
and roll them in the mixture bowl. 

Our first real recipe.
Trotted out to visitors, parents
and, some years down the line,
our children.

Transfer to casserole dish.
Bake until chicken is cooked through.
Top with shredded cheese and
serve with favorite pasta and tomato sauce.

I would come in the door
after a long shift, smell dinner
in the oven and know that I was home.