From Leana: Reconnecting

Posted by Leana Henderkott Tuesday, March 9, 2010 , ,

Shortly after reconnecting with Lisa on Facebook, I learned that she is also a "foodie". That sort of person always interests me, as I love all things food-related; from the cooking gadgets, to grocery shopping, to the cooking process itself and of course, the utlimate reward of eating. It was just too bad that she lives half a country away, but not to be deterred, I suggested that we cook "together" despite the distance. She and I haven't been in contact for 25 years, so I was pleasantly surprised when she responded with such enthusiasm. Remembering the same excitement my cheerleader friend possessed in high school, I was brought back to the fond years when we knew each other.

Anyone who knows me at all knows that I have many ideas for hobbies and am a great starter, but more often than I would like to admit do not always have the best follow through. Luckily, Lisa turned out to be the driving force behind the blog, and thank goodness for that. She has initiated the means by which we will rekindle our newfound friendship.

Stealing a page from "Julie & Julia", we have decided to cook Bouef Bourguignon on the same date - I mean, what choice did we have, really? I don't have the giant Julia Childs cookbook like Lisa, so I looked up the recipe on the World Wide Interweb. For something so elaborate, it seemed surpirsingly simple.

Admittedly, I was a little nervous when I called her for the first time. I was worried that we would struggle for conversation. I wondered if the uncomfortable silence would be filled with struggling small talk. When she answered the phone, no longer did I hear the cute and small voice from years past, but instead, a wise and confident woman answered. The sound of her voice provided hints of the familiar sweet and perky girl that I remembered from so long ago, and I was happy to find that her kind spirit never changed in the years that had passed.

We caught up for a bit on the phone while beginning the dish, but had to hang up because we came to the point where we needed both hands to work. My modification was that instead of the thick chunk bacon called for in the recipe, I used regular bacon, as the local Pick'n Save didn't have chunk bacon at the meat counter. Oh, and in response to the flaw I found in Julia's recipe, I doubled the meat. I needed it to fully absorb all of the extra wine I poured in - also an apparent oversight on Ms. Childs' part, God rest her soul. It seemed to take forever to cut all the meat and veggies, but I know it would pay off when the aromatic scents would fill my home. In the future, however, I may have to respectfully request that I be exempt from peeling 18 - 24 pearl onions should it be required for future recipes. Either that or I will wait out Ryan Reynolds' existing marriage and let him peel them and then reward him in the only way that would make sense at that time :) (Oh wow...was that inappropriate...) By the way, Lisa wasn't the only one who couldn't figure out when the carrots and the lovingly peeled pearl onions had to go into the stew!

In the movie, I'm not exactly sure how Julie Powell could have possibly fallen asleep while the dish was roasting in the oven, because I tried to take a nap during the four hours of roasting in the oven. The aroma of the stew was too distracting - in an exciting way - to allow a full afternoon of self-centered indulgence.

[True to form, I did not have my camera charged, so there is no pictorial documentation of the dish. I do, however, have several satisified witnesses.]

Suffice it to say, the dish was WONDERFUL, I mean close-your-eyes good! Ryan Reynolds would have eagerly fought David Beckham for my hand in marriage after eating my dish. The meat was so tender that I was glad that I added what seemed like too much at the time. My friends loved it and hope that I make it again. Perhaps I will, the next time I have 7 free hours to spend in the afternoon.

Sharing our love for cooking was a wonderful experience, one which we plan to continue. Lisa and I have decided on Lamb Stew this coming Saturday, March 13, 2010. I promise to submit pictures next time!

2 comments

  1. Brian Says:
  2. Very nice writing. I was chuckling about the Ryan Reynolds allusion.

     
  3. Anonymous Says:
  4. **From Brian**

    Very nice writing. I especially like the Ryan Reynolds allusion.

     

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