Eating with my Best Friend
Reminiscing about our shared love of cooking/eating with others, risotto, and crispy brussel sprouts.
This week, my best friend Caroline should’ve been in Thailand, preparing to teach English and math. Instead, without her visa being granted, she postponed her departure two weeks which enabled her to visit me (yay). So in the spaciousness before her sojourn in Thailand and my move to Massachusetts, we found ourselves together in Chattanooga, Tennessee soaking up each others company :)
Our Shared Satisfaction in Cooking and Eating with Others
Caroline and I became best friends at 14, long before either of us cared to spend any time in a kitchen. I took up cooking my freshman year of college as a way to make friends and avoid the plant-based options at the dining hall (which predominately consisted of variations of rice and tofu day after day). Caroline started cooking during the past year or so when she moved into a house and dropped her college meal plan, and subscribed to Hello Fresh. She told me that part of the reason she made this change is that she read a book about how hurry is detrimental to human health and spiritual aliveness, and she realized that eating was one aspect of life she felt she was rushing through. Caroline is a lover of life; joy, enthusiasm, and care for others exude from her and become profoundly contagious. Caroline always strives to embody the teachings and radical love of Jesus Christ, so when she reflected more deeply about Jesus taking time and care eat with others, it’s no surprise she took up a similar intention. Since her Hello Fresh meals serve two, she told me she loves to invite people over to cook and eat with, and it’s something that often brightens her day and gives her something to look forward to. She feels it’s a perfect excuse to spend time and connect with others, which is something we’ve both discovered in our lives.
Risotto and Brussel Sprouts
During Caro’s visit, we shared many delicious meals together. One of her favs was the risotto we made (thanks for the dedicated stirring Caro). Inspired by this recipe, we omitted the asparagus and pesto and substituted local kale and oyster mushrooms. And, we paired it with lemony broccoli and Ras el Hanout spiced lentils.
We also ate out one evening at Calliope (at Proof Incubator). Like every restaurant hosted at Proof that I’ve had the pleasure of enjoying, like Neutral Ground and Ukko, Calliope’s selections were exquisite. Their menu is perfect for sharing, always my preferred mode of eating (which I’ve adopted from sharing meals with my Spanish host family). I was also happy to see so many seasonally and locally informed options, friendly for all kinds of eaters. Our favorites were the local mushroom hummus and the crispy brussel sprouts. See us falling in love with them below.
The local mushroom hummus I wouldn’t begin to understand how to recreate. Though, following recipes like this, I attempted the crispy brussel sprouts and was contented. For anyone interested, I preheated the oven to 450F, chopped about a cup and a half of brussel sprouts, and coated them in olive oil, a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, sea salt, and a drizzle of agave. I didn’t try it, but instead of sea salt, one might experiment with soy sauce/tamari/coconut aminos. Once in the oven, keep an eye on them and don’t be afraid to let them get crispy.
The past few days, I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to indulge my favorite delights. From cooking and eating to urban gardening and walks amidst the gorgeous fall foliage, I feel so lucky to have a best friend like Caroline by my side to take up these activities. With our laughter, listening, and mutual understanding, Caroline reminds me that it’s sharing food/nature/community-mindedness among others that makes these passions so meaningful to me. Thanks Caro <3
This is lovely :)
Re-reading this and tearing up a little bit :,) the bestest best friend