eat and greet: happy birthday, nadina!

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

happy birthday, nadina!

It's been a long time, my friend. Count it: for over 10 years I've been a totally lucky and humbled gal to call you my friend, Nadina. Through the awkward formative years, the innocent ones, to driving around aimlessly, to Ain't No Mountain High Enough, to Paris, and now New York, New York, it appears we can't really get rid of each other. I wouldn't have it any other way. And on your very special day, I wish you nothing but perfect bites and sips the whole day through. You can guarantee I'll make sure that happens. Here's to hoping our dramatic and wholly embarrassing home movies never end up in the wrong hands. I've got a future I'm vying for. Pretty sure you do too. And it's not on daytime Soaps.

Celebrate, YOU. Love, love, love.

2 comments:

Nadina said...: thanks kiira!; June 23, 2010 at 9:22 AM
Alexandria Office Cleaning said...: Thanks for writing this.; November 8, 2022 at 5:56 PM

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who i am

When faced with the question of what food means to me, conversation inevitably shifts to my Mor-Mor (Swedish for Grandmother): A phenomenal cook who refused help in the kitchen and didn't believe in recipes. The real deal, if you will.

Mor-Mor had a seriously strong hand with garlic (surprisingly for a Swede) and an innate knack for making anything taste implausibly delicious. There was always a jar of homemade garlic oil in her fridge which found its way drizzled on top of almost everything. Like one of her breakfast treats: homemade bread slathered with garlic oil, a few slices of granny smith apple, and topped with extra sharp cheddar. Into her beloved toaster oven they'd go until the cheese had just melted, lovingly, over the apples. The salty-sweet combination could make your head spin—a beautiful cohesion of flavors and textures from such an unexpected pairing.

And then there were her meatballs. With her homemade tomato sauce made from tomatoes grown in her garden, picked when perfectly plump and warm from the summer sun, a ladle of garlic oil, and tons of parsley (Mor-Mor may or may not have been secretly Italian), they sent eyeballs rolling to the backs of people’s heads. The thought alone of her in that kitchen makes my heart long, once again, for her cooking. For her.

Now when I'm cooking, I finally understand her insistence on navigating the kitchen alone. There's something about getting in there and winding down and having your own personal space to create that’s beyond therapeutic—it’s wholly fulfilling and soul-satisfying.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

happy birthday, nadina!

2 comments:

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