If Not For Square One

When I had to name a weekly column that I was to write for the Antelope Valley Press in Palmdale, Ca., the only name that made sense at the time was "Square One." The column's focus was about being a widowed mother of two daughters. Those daughters have grown beyond Tooth Fairy tales and Halloween pumpkin hunts. My oldest is now an attorney who practices law in Santa Fe, NM. The baby girl, now 30, is the chef de cuisine for Jer-ne in the Marina del Rey, Ca. Ritz-Carlton. My husband of 18 years and I just returned from a weekend there and my Weight Watchers points sailed out to sea with the yachts that grace the Marina del Rey harbor. When we entered the hotel with our chef daughter, I was floored by the greetings of "Good afternoon, Chef." I remember when the now Chef Dakota Weiss wouldn't touch a piece of meat or fresh veggies. How did she change? Was my astrologer correct when he said that she would be famous for her hat? Meanwhile, if you are in the area of Jer-ne, stop in and ask for Chef Weiss, then tell her that her mother sent you. A treat will be in your immediate culinary future. If not for "Square One" I would not be bumping into something like Square 100 -- but this time it's just a mother's perspective.