Recently I had a tryst with an old flame. No, ‘old flame’ is not quite right. You see, I’ve mindlessly used him many times over the years--even recently--meeting him most often in dark movie houses. On rare, more daring occasions we met in my bedroom, on nights when I admit I much more anticipated my latest Netflix delivery or guilty-pleasure TV show. He was always a second thought; an accompaniment; a reliable, cheap snack I held back from enjoying fully, lest I spoil the more respectable dinner waiting for me at home.
But this night was different. I was alone. . .insatiable, yet I longed for something more substantial, more fulfilling. . .more memorable. Suddenly, and for the first time, I saw him in a new light. The idea seemed so silly given our past dealings, that I needed some kind of sanity check before making the call. I did what one does when faced with such a crisis. I grabbed my phone, and desperately tweeted:
No one did (talk me out of it), but when shortly thereafter I received an inquisitive tweet from none other than the brilliant Amy Ephron (“What does homemade mean?”, “Did you grow and dry the corn, or do you just mean ‘not microwaved’?”, “Recipe, please?”), I knew I was on to something, and that there was no turning back.
When I think of a special, winter meal, I think of Beef Bourguignonne. Don't let the French name scare you, it's simply beef stew. It is the epitome of French comfort food and it is classically made with Pinot Noir wine. And what could be more satisfying than something steaming and rich? I have tried many versions and have come to settle on this particular recipe.
Every Friday growing up I had a tuna sandwich in my lunch box. The bread was usually soggy by the time lunch came around, caused by the use
of too much mayonnaise and sweet pickle relish. Friday was also the
only day I was allowed to have a soda pop accompany my lunch. It was
usually RC Cola in the can, wrapped in tin foil to keep cold. The RC
Cola also kept my sandwich cool, a bonus as far as I was concerned.
While I don't like to rush the holidays, I do welcome them with open arms. To celebrate the season, my lovely friend Holly (of Turquoise Autumn) invited me over for treats and talk of wintry recipes.
I was methodically chopping chives into 1/4 inch batons to balance on top of the mini crabcakes I would soon serve. I was lost in thought about my 4 ½ year relationship that I had ended earlier that day. 4 ½ years. Sigh. I was thinking about the love and all the amazing moments we shared over that time. images (1)I have no regrets, only appreciation for the incredible man that Shannon is and an understanding that love sometimes changes into something else. I glanced down at the cutting board and realized I had cut enough chive batons to feed a sizeable army – which this crowd was not. I slid the greens into a bowl as one of the servers walked into the kitchen.