Leaving Las Vegas

After several hectic weeks of travelling I finally had an entire week in DC, and resolved to make the most of it. The kitchen, much less the refrigerator, was down to its bare bones but I soon put that right with one of those trips to the supermarket.

I had not had a trip like that to the supermarket since the days when we lived in Grad Center. We did not have a car and our only access to a decent supermarket was the weekly trolley to Eastside MarketPlace. Every trip was like a new beginning, flush with possibility, and we threw things into the cart with reckless abandon. We were never ones for lists, or methods. It was all there for the taking, and it made us feel in control of our destiny.

On Monday I made dinner for a bunch of folks, including my oldest friends in DC. Amanda leaves on Friday for Kinshasa, and I wanted to see her and cook for her one last time. She loves scallops, so even though they were hopelessly out of season I had to make them for her. The fresh ones from Whole Foods were particularly large, and I paired them with a watercress coulis and grilled corn. Laura, who is vegetarian, was in the kitchen with me looking on as I seared them on my cast-iron pan. She quickly hurried out of my way - no doubt weirded out by my yelling and convulsing with joy as I flipped each scallop to reveal a deep, golden-brown sear.

For a main course we had grilled pork chops, and I made some brandied peaches as a topping. It was tart and savoury, and the pork chops were cooked quite well - with a crisp exterior but an even, juicy center. We drank a 2003 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon (Alexander Valley), which I have absolutely adored in the past but was strangely subdued this time. The air conditioning chose that very moment to fail, which I cursed silently under my breath as I sweated through the meal, my face flush from standing in front of the grill. Still the flavour was enough to keep me happy, and even more than that, the satisfaction from having done good.

For dessert I tried to recreate Shanaz's panna cotta from several weeks back, but I did not use enough gelatin and it didn't set in time. We slurped down the semi-solid mixture, which was still delicious. I had flavoured it with lemon and vanilla and used goat's milk ricotta.

It was a little sad at the end when Amanda had to leave. Of the four of us from 1721 T now only Laura and I are left, and soon I, too, will be gone. I remember Jeff's departure and Sarah bawling her eyes out at the Townhouse Tavern. It was a lot of emotion to deal with and I felt strangely helpless. I suppose the way I am it is awfully easy to be hard-boiled about stuff, and I remember lots of times seeing people coming to tears and wondering if it really was worth it. But I did not question the value of those tears, and when Jeff left it was like the sun had come down on something.

Amanda leaving was not so dramatic because she is a sweet girl and always very cheery. She did not cry, and neither did I. It seemed hardly worth it. I kissed her goodbye one last time and rubbed her arm because it was all I could think to do. As she turned and walked away it did not quite hit me yet but later that night I felt that same emptiness I had felt when Jeff, and many others, had left.

I don't deal with goodbyes so well, I realise.

----------------------

A couple of days later I grilled again - this time a swordfish steak, which I did not do too much with. A little lemon, oregano, salt and pepper, and onto the grill it went.

It was Jose who taught me to cross-hatch whatever I grilled, and even now when it comes out perfectly I get a silly smile on my face.

I served it on a bed of bok choy, and had a nice cool beer. It had been a long day, and the making and eating of the dinner was just what I had needed.