Food: Mom & Dad's Prime Rib

My Mom always cooks up elaborate dinners when we come home from college. In a way, it's simply her nature - she was used to cooking for four people for nearly two decades, so it's comforting for her to plate up something big instead of the simple meals she cooks for just Dad and herself. Last night was a little slice of heaven - prime rib.

Many of our friends have asked for the secret to our prime rib, but there's not much to tell. Much like most other prime rib recipes, you coat the thing in rock salt, and let it cook in the oven for awhile. Then, scrape the salt off and rub in spices on each side - we use garlic and parsley, mostly, but many things will work. Then, cook the darn thing some more. We collect the drippings in the pan and roast carrots, celery, and onions during the last phase of the cooking.

After it's done, scoop up the veggies sans drippings and pour the drippings into a pan of gravy (there are a hojillion gravy recipes on the net, so no need to elaborate). Serve with buttery, hand-mashed potatoes and some steamed rice, and you're all set. It's a decent amount of work, and there's a lot of dishes to wash afterward, but hey, life is short.

They say there's no place like home. And they are right.