"Cooking doesn't have to be a long and complicated process," writes Dana Velden in her new book,
Finding Yourself in the Kitchen: Kitchen Meditations and Inspired Recipes from a Mindful Cook . In fact, sometimes cooking is more like gathering and assembling, a quick and spontaneous pairing of two, maybe three, ingredients. This approach works for any meal, but it's especially well suited for when you want a dessert for one, something that's indulgent yet unfussy. Velden's ideas, which she shares here, are a reminder of how practicing restraint can create a greater-than-the-sum-of-its-parts deliciousness. Her first suggestion: Pear with ricotta. Just cut the fruit (the riper, the better) in half, scoop out the seeds, stuff the little hollow with creamy, sweet ricotta cheese and eat with a spoon, scooping up bites of both pear and cheese.
One more thing: Topping it with a sprinkling of thinly sliced basil or finely chopped thyme will add a burst of color and a citrusy note.