diary

28th May, 7.30am

I cooked two eggs just below boiling point for 6 minutes and put them in a small glass bowl on the table.  While the eggs were cooking I boiled the kettle and ground coffee with the hand grinder (a task I find quite maddening). I poured the boiling water over the grounds into a yellow coffee pot, waiting for the water to drip through the paper filter before adding more. I cut two slices of bread and put them in the toaster in an interval between pouring the water over the coffee. Then I sliced up one medium tomato quite thickly and halved a handful of small yellow and red tomatoes. I put them on a plate with a little olive oil, a few drops of red wine vinegar and salt. I added a few chives and thyme leaves from pots in the yard and put the plate on the table. Just before I did this, I set the toaster to grill the bread for 2-3 minutes. I placed a pat of butter on a small plate and took a tube of harissa from the fridge and put them both on the table. 

We sat down, each peeled an egg, spread butter thickly on the toast and then a thin layer of harissa. I cut the just-set eggs cut into pieces on top of the toast and added slices of tomato and salt and pepper. I ate it with a knife and fork.