I know I have a tendency to get wordy. (I am a writer, after all. “Wordy” is kind of in the DNA.) But even I recognize that there are times when a picture tells the story better. This is one of those times. To wit: I share with you two photos of one of my favorite recurring meals: Vietnamese spring rolls and a fragrant, steaming bowl of pho. (There should be a special diacritical mark above the “o” in pho, but I’m not sure how to produce it on this computer. Any Vietnamese typists out there?)

What these images do not capture is the wonderful company that made this meal a million times better than the sum of its parts: my friend Robynne. Feast with your eyes, dear readers…

Fried vegetarian spring rolls

Pho with eye of round & beef meatballs (can you smell the basil?)