The year after I graduated college was particularly educational for me. Sounds ironic, but the education I’m referring to is the one I received in the kitchen, from a particularly talented roommate whom I shall refer to as the Chocolate Gamache. (Incidentally, she’s just started her own blog, so don’t be disappointed if you don’t see anything there yet – and look out for when she starts posting because she, besides being a fabulous cook, is also a talented writer.)
Ms. Chocolate Gamache taught me some of the fundamental basics of European/American cooking that I’ve relied on ever since. Under her tutelage, I learned how to make chicken stock, knead and bake bread, form a pie crust from scratch, and even craft chocolate truffles by hand.
You can imagine, then, how sweet it was when this dear friend came into town for a couple days and we got to make dinner together.
We didn’t do anything fancy: just penne tossed in a sautéed medley of vegetables from the most recent CSA share, including zucchini, green pepper, red onion, and garlic. (Ms. CG was especially excited about the garlic: “It smells like garlic!” she exclaimed upon sniffing a few unpeeled cloves in her hand… which made me wonder, why doesn’t uncooked garlic from the supermarket have an aroma?)
We also prepared half of the purple potatoes in the same style as before: microwaved a bit, then cut into wedges and pan-fried with minimal seasoning until golden. It didn’t bother either of us that we were making a “brunch” recipe for dinner. This time, I let them sit in the pan a little longer and get extra crispy.
The Chocolate Gamache has since returned to her home, but I hope she visits again. I’m grateful for her friendship over the years and the memories we’re still making!
[...] a chicken is something I learned the basics of from my college friend, who helped me see that whole birds are nothing to be intimidated [...]