Great Expectations

Today I started what I hope will become a weekly pilgrimage to Sylvia’s program. Equipped for this mission with a basket containing the requisite apron and dishtowel along with a fresh copy of Joy of Cooking and the latest Bon Appetit my expectations knew no bounds.

Sylvia and I would cook dinner! What could be simpler and more fun? Like the woodland creatures to Snow White, Sylvia and I would cook as her friends flocked to the apartment and commenced to make merry. We would be entertaining in an instant!

Of course, it wasn’t quite like that. Real life doesn’t take long to rear its formidable head. The first hour at the apartment was filled with taking care of other business and then cleaning. Sylvia’s household doesn’t have a vacuum cleaner! Snack remains are not so easily dispatched with a whisk broom and dustpan. I have seen the kitchen in worse condition, but there was a lively event taking place in the sink.

While I plucked nasty dishes from the cultural event in full swing and dispatched them to the ‘dirty dish cabinet’ (dishwasher), Sylvia wrote down the ingredients needed for a root vegetable pasta dish in Bon Appetit. “ Pasta? “ I’m thinking to myself. But in the spirit of engendering kitchen enthusiasm, Sylvia gets my full support. Besides, Sylvia’s roommate, Marin, thrives on a steady diet of this stuff and she’s joining us.

I’m tempted at this point to launch into the epic saga of our trip to Walbaum’s, but really I want to stay in the kitchen. All you need to know is that we returned safely with root veg in hand along with a can of promises. Instant homemade breadsticks! How could I refuse? Sylvia declared that this would be her introduction to baking. These days, if it’s a question of additives and enthusiasm VS no enthusiasm, I tell myself that Sylvia will come around to the ‘pure side’ eventually. In the mean time, my goal is to get her in the kitchen and enjoying herself. We did that tonight. Marin was waxing poetic about the chunk of Parmigiano-Reggiano that was freshly grated onto her penne while Sylvia and I tucked into our version with the root vegetables.

There were a few discoveries tonight. By letting go of some of my expectations and accepting some of Sylvia’s, we had a very nice evening. Grand plans often have to start modestly. Canned promises sometimes deliver; the bread sticks were a total hit. And last, but not least, I need to get Sylvia a chopping board.