The Necessary Ingredients

Bonnie took out the recipe book that her mother had given her when she and Duke were first married. Home Cooking For Brides, by Hannah Mathias. The cover was torn, and it fell open at Meat Loaf, which was Duke’s favorite. However, she turned to the next chapter, which was Poultry, and found the recipe she had been reading over the weekend.

One chicken, cut into eight pieces

Two cloves garlic

1 green bell pepper

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

2 teaspoons chili powder

1½ cups chopped canned tomatoes

cup raisins

4 tablespoons dry sherry

cup green olives, chopped

She put on her reading glasses while she was following the recipe, and she bent over the book with a concentrated frown.