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Some nights, I’m just the worst about dinner. I perseverate on what to do, and the narrative in my head goes a little something like this: I want to make dinner, but I’m hungry now

It’ll be our first time visiting, so whenever there’s a drop of downtime, I tap all the keywords I can think of into Google, read Maui article after Maui article, and work on our vacation itinerary like it’s my day job. With an electric hand mixer on medium speed, mix the egg whites, sugar, and vanilla extract in a glass or steel bowl over simmering water until the egg white mixture reaches 150 degrees Using an electric mixer again, whisk the egg mixture over medium speed and slowly add the cubes of butter, a few at a time. If the mixture is too runny and/or won’t thicken up after 8 minutes, place the bowl in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes, then re-whip until it comes together (do not over chill in the refrigerator as the frosting will solidify and become difficult to spread).

But all my doubts quickly dissolved like sugar in hot tea after spending just a few hours in the city, and almost immediately, I fell in deep and intense love with Paris. When I realized I had not run into a single rude person in Paris, I thought back and wondered maybe I just didn’t notice them. We enjoyed clear skies and sunshine during the week, and on our last day, the skies wept and snowed, which made Paris seem even more beautiful to me. Occasionally I looked up from my book to give my eyes a break or to people-watch, a sport that everyone seemed to play in Paris.

The zucchini noodles are coated in a fragrant garlic oil, then tossed with fresh basil and salty parmigiano reggiano. I add crushed red pepper flakes for a little kick, but you can of course omit this ingredient if you’re not a fan of the heat. Stir in the salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes, then remove the pan from the heat. Add more salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes to taste.