First, be easy on yourself—don't worry
about proportion, temperature, time,
about hard-to-please family, friends,
your own expertise and practicality.

Second, stay out of the way—let wild
and brown rice, mushroom and onion, walnut
and almond, sherry and soy sauce, butter
and black pepper come on their own as guests.

Third, let the ingredients putter at the stove—
the rices will boil in their separate pots,
the vegetables and nuts sauté in a pan.
Mixed in a bowl, they'll all oven-bake awhile.

Last, open wine. Serve salad. Maybe turkey,
salmon, moose. The recipe is foolproof,
guaranteed. Though, to be perfectly safe,
invite the mouth, that stranger, to explain.