Time ...

It's funny how the concept of time is so important. We use it to describe what has happened, is to happen or is happening. In terms of food, we mostly use it as a form of measurement when cooking. Tonight I baked, in the oven but not as a cake, a salmon for fifteen minutes. Any longer and it would have been dry and over done. I'm new to this salmon cooking business as I've only done it twice before. This time, I believe, was the BEST one I've cooked with nothing more than lemon, salt and pepper. (I was going to put some herbs in it but realized I had none handy --- note to self: start a herb garden)

Anyways, just as time is an important factor in cooking salmon (or any other type of meat) it is also an important measurement in terms of relationships. If friendships could be measured time would be a good unit of measure. After a certain amount of time a friendship may reach a boiling point, rather with food a point where the food loses any beneficial attributes it may have. And at some point it reaches the point of no return, in cooking this is when the food becomes burnt. And just like fish or poultry or any type of meat that gets left on the burner for too long, a friendship that is continually on the fryer for an extended period of time becomes like that unwanted black glob that used to be something good.