food

Living alone, I’ve gotten lax about cooking. I make my old standbys, generally in too large quantities. Buying packaged, fresh produce is difficult, as the chances are good that some portion of it will spoil, before I can use it all. I make a lot of soups, stews, and sauces, which I either eat for days or freeze in (hopefully) single servings.

As a young wife, I invited friends to dinner and experimented. Some of those experiments have become standbys; most of them haven’t, because they involve too many fresh ingredients. Given my relationship status and age, there aren’t many choices for friends I can comfortably ask to dinner. Generally, the male part of a couple isn’t at ease with the idea of spending a couple of hours, listening to two women talk, particularly if the food is a bit different.

So, I started a food club. I invited three girlfriends, all of them married with children at home, to come to my house once a month for a themed dinner. The last dinner was Mexican. We each take a part of the dinner. Depending on work and family schedules, each friend either brings their ingredients or the finished product. Lisa made quesadillas here; Christina made a flan at home. I made chicken mole here; Jessica put her bean dip together at work. We spent a couple of hours, laughing and eating. It was great fun for me, having friends in the house, and for them, getting away from their houses.

These women, with their busy lives don’t have the time or energy to plan meals, regardless of what Better Homes and Gardens would have us believe. This way we can experiment, without having a seven year old turn up her nose. I can be creative with menus and know that at least once a month I’m going to do a bit of cleaning!

I’m leaning toward French for next month.