The One Dish

[Spritz] Rosemary syrup: ½ cup sugar, ½ cup water and 3 rosemary sprigs in the small pot on medium. Stir until the sugar is gone, let it bubble 2 minutes, then off the heat with the rosemary still in it.

[Spritz] Fish the rosemary out of the syrup. Pitcher: 1 cup gin, 2 cups grapefruit juice, ⅓ cup syrup. Stir, taste a spoonful, fix it with more juice or more syrup. Lid on, fridge. The 7:29 jar: 1 cup grapefruit juice, 3 tablespoons syrup. Lid, fridge.

[Spritz] Cut the grapefruit in half and cut 4 thin half-moons from one half. Cover, fridge. Pick out 2 good rosemary sprigs for the glasses.

[Toasts] Zest the first lemon into a small bowl, yellow only, then cut it in half. Cream cheese in, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, a pinch of salt, a lot of pepper. Mash with a fork until smooth. 1 tablespoon of dill snipped in with scissors. Cover, fridge.

[Toasts] A quarter of the red onion sliced as thin as you can, into a bowl of cold water. 2 tablespoons capers onto a paper towel to drain. A small handful of dill fronds onto a saucer.

[Rice] Chicken patted dry, each thigh cut into 3 chunks, tossed on a plate with 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon oil.

[Toasts] Onion out of the water, patted dry, onto the saucer with the capers and dill. Cover, fridge. The starter's work is done.

[Rice] Chorizo casing peeled off, cut into coins as thick as a pencil. Onion peeled and cut into rough ½-inch pieces.

[Rice] Into the baking dish: 1 tablespoon oil, the onion, the chorizo, 1 cup dry rice, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon salt. Stir with your hand until the rice is orange. Spread flat.

[Rice] Chicken chunks pushed down into the rice, spaced out, tops just showing. Foil over the dish, tight. Fridge.

[Rice] Second lemon into wedges. 2¼ cups broth into a microwave-safe measuring cup, fridge. [Board] Brie out of the fridge onto the cutting board, bottom-left corner, wrapper on.

[Evening] Dishes done, counters wiped. Two wide bowls, two small plates and napkins set out.

[Board] Cheddar cut into finger-sized sticks, piled top-right. Salami folded in half and in half again, lined up like fallen dominoes in a curve from the brie toward the middle.

[Board] Grapes in clusters of 4 to 6 against the cheddar. Crackers shingled along the open edge. Jam jar open with the spoon standing in it, in the last gap. Brie unwrapped, one wedge cut and laid beside the wheel. Bare wood filled. Loose plastic over it, counter, out of the way; it is the last course.

[Rice] Oven to 425°F, rack in the middle. Dish out of the fridge onto the counter. [Toasts] Lemon cream out of the fridge. 6 slices of rye, big slices halved. [Spritz] Two glasses into the freezer.

[Toasts] Slices into the toaster on medium. No toaster: on the sheet tray on the top rack of the preheating oven, 6 minutes, out before the rice goes in. Onto a plate to cool.

[Apartment] Shower.

[Toasts] A thick layer of lemon cream on each toast, edge to edge. Salmon folded over in loose waves, 1 or 2 slices per toast. An upturned bowl over them. Counter.

[Rice] Broth 3 minutes in the microwave until steaming. Foil peeled back, broth poured evenly over the rice, foil back on tight. [Evening] Music on, lights down, overhead off, table set, candle lit. The onion saucer, the lemon half and the pepper grinder next to the toasts.