Saturday, July 14, 2007

One Out of Two


Dinner was pasta last night. I love the ritual of the cooking of a good pasta sauce – the house filled with wonderful aromas after the sauce simmers on the stove for hours. When I was child, I would always be dismayed with how my mother prepared her pasta. She would break it up into little pieces before boiling it – travesty! One of the important rituals in eating good pasta is carefully twirling the long strands upon the fork, making sure to get a chunky piece of tomato or some ground beef with every bite. That smell of garlic, basil, and grated parmesan is almost always intoxicating. I could easily become a food addict now that I am sober these days.

As I was making my way home from my early morning walk, I thought of what I wanted in life. Pasta. Cooking. And someone to share it with. I could curl up with a friend on the couch and watch hours of The Food Network getting ideas for our next culinary foray into the kitchen. We would sit eating pasta as we talked of our day. "Pass the parmesan and grater," she would say. I would smile as I asked her if she would like another bowl, taking great satisfaction out of her enjoyment of the meal. I realized there was no greater relationship magic than sharing a bowl of pasta between friends and ample, good conversation. I do not have much hope of ever finding this combination of conversational and culinary bliss, but I do take comfort in knowing that the next bowl of pasta is always only a few hours of cooking away. One out of two ain't that bad.

10 comments:

itrada5059 said...

delicious

Jenn said...

Pasta and the food network. What, I ask you, could possibly be better??

justLacey said...

I am a food network addict. It has actually improved my cooking considerably. Last week I made Barefoot Contessa's mac and cheese. It was heavenly as most of her recipes are. As well, I could become a food addict and have in some ways. Only vanity keeps me from letting it go much further than it has.

zirelda said...

Honestly, one of the best parts of my relationship with Dan is that we cook together. I love it.

You never know. It could happen.

Andrew said...

Jenn,

Not much could be better.

Lacey,

I am a Mac and Cheese addict. That is why I never cook it. I bet Contessa's was heavenly.

Zirelda

We can always hope, can't we? Take care and it was good to see you comment.

Andrew

Annabel said...

You know spaghetti with meat sauce is my very favorite food. I am sure yours is delicious and I'd love to sit and eat with you any time.

Eric said...

I knew you were a good man, but this post seals the deal. Pasta, cooking, Food Network and a relationship grounded in cooking, man, do you have all the right ideas.

On Bobby Flay's show where he challenges other chefs on their signature dishes, he competed with a soul food queen in Philadelphia who made a 7 cheese mac and cheese. It sounded good enough that I almost considered a vacation in Phillie just to try it.

CRUSTYBEEF said...

1-I love long noodles..my mom used to do the same thing ( I think it cooks quicker) long noodles, rolling fork, meat spaghetti pie YUM!

2-Mac and cheese is great. I love the spiderman themed ones..

3-sometimes peace is best described as someone eating silently alone enjoying the food before him-sounds wonderful!

Always,
Crusty~

M said...

(-: Pasta rocks and so does your writing!

Chloe said...

Oh Yum! I should not be seduced by this, as one doesn't want to get hungry at 12:30, but it does sound good. Frankly, any meal involving garlic and good cheese is a wonderful thing imo :) I wish you the best on your journey.