Today Brooklynne and I traded places and tried out traditional gender roles for the first time since September--I went to work and she stayed home and made dinner. And boy did she make an exquisite culinary masterpiece! The meal was so great that I am recording the recipe here for family, friends, and our own future reference.

You will need:
2 tomatoes with their seeds removed and chopped;
1/4 cup of thinly sliced fresh basil (or more to taste);
1 garlic clove chopped fine or mashed through one of those garlic things;
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar;
3/4 teaspoon salt;
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper;
2 6-8 oz. salmon fillets (leave the skin on);
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin;
1/2 teaspoon olive oil;
2 servings of your favorite fun-shaped pasta (bowties recommended);
Grated parmesan cheese.

Directions:

Cook the pasta while you're doing the rest of these steps so it is ready on time.

Combine the tomatoes, basil, garlic, vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/8 teaspoon of pepper. This will make a tomato relish.

Next, sprinkle the salmon with the cumin and the rest of the salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a skillet to medium-high. Put the salmon in, skin side up, and cook for 4 minutes. Flip it over and cook for another minute. Then cover the pan, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the salmon in done through, about 2-3 minutes. You can leave the skin on the salmon and just avoid eating it, or peel it off before serving, although you risk the fish flaking apart in the process. I like the skin off.

Serve the salmon covered with the tomato relish. Serve the pasta on the side, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with cracked black pepper and parmesan cheese.

This dish is best eaten on your very own garden terrace, overlooking your apartment parking lot, and chased down with your favorite cold beverage.

This will make a lovely dinner for two.