Wash spinach carefully in cold water. Break leaves from stem with fingers—do not cut—and set spinach in colander. Wash mushrooms. Slice vertically so each slice maintains its shape. Put oil in heavy iron skillet, heat until drop of water makes it pop. Turn flame down and lay spinach evenly in pan. Spread mushrooms; sprinkle rosemary and tamari. Simmer until leaves are soft and hot. Do not overcook. Place peppers in nice design around spinach and serve quickly.

Sassafrass: The Only Way to Broil Fish: Mackerel

Clean fish thoroughly. Dip in melted butter, add salt and pepper.

Cook 4–6 minutes on each side in broiler.

Red Sauce: Sassafrass’ Variation Du-Wop ’59

Mix tomato sauce and wine in saucepan. Add sautéed onions, parsley, and seasonings. Spread some sauce over fish while broiling; save the rest to use on plate.

While Sassafrass cooked she usually did yoga breathing exercises or belly dance pelvic contractions as she puttered around. The movements were almost accidental: tearing the spinach she’d contract on each pull from a stem and release as soon as it hit the colander. She would breathe ten quick breaths out and ten quick ones in as she crossed the kitchen from the sink to the stove. Not wanting to waste a moment, she would do relevés on alternate sets of ten contractions, so it would be: contract-relevé-release-down. This went on for as long as it took to cook dinner, and as the mackerel came out of the oven, Sassafrass was a buoyant and contented woman.