Mysteries in Friendship
I have only one friend left over from my college days (art school to be exact). They were a pretty miserable 4 years in Providence, Rhode Island, which we used to call 'the armpit of New England'. I hear it's much better now.
What used to be an awful highway they've made into a river, and it's become a place where you can get a sophisticated pizza, if that isn't an oxymoron. In the old days there were only a handful of places to eat out other than the school cafeteria. One Chinese restaurant which used to serve Italian bread with your meal.
The others were equally dismal. I lived in a hole of an apartment, but I managed to cook great meals anyway. I've always been culinary-curious, even in my teenage years. Jimmy was one of the first friends I made there in that school, mostly because he was also miserable. We did an awful lot of complaining, but hilarious complaining, and he saw me as an adventuress because I always had a lot of boyfriends.
These romances of mine were short-lived and disappointing, but it made me feel much better that Jimmy saw me in a glamorous light. To him I was a woman of conquest and courage, not the Maud I knew myself to be....sad and scared. I came from a family where there was always a dinner party mom was preparing for. She'd start 3 days in advance, preparing things that were exotic at the time, like shrimp toast, which was dipped in egg and deep fried....with teriyaki dipping sauce! Incredible! She also baked great pies, something I can't ever manage....something about the crust is just too difficult. I balk when it comes to using a rolling pin for anything.
So one night I had Jimmy over for dinner, and it was very simple really. I made a meatloaf, roasted potatoes, and a salad. It was at this little dinner that I got an insight into my friend that I hadn't realized. It explained somewhat why my life seemed so wild and interesting to him. He had never been to a dinner party. His parents never ever had people over, and he didn't even know it was a 'thing'. He had never eaten a tomato, or a pepper, or an avocado. Even now, all these years later, he has never had a dinner party. He has a lovely partner and is a successful illustrator, and lives a full happy life, but never once has made a salad for anyone.
Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette
If you've never roasted peppers before, it's very easy. Turn your flame on the stove to high, and place a whole pepper right on the burner, using tongs, and watching carefully, turn the pepper on the falme until the skin is blackened. It doesn't have to be all black, but fairly well burnt.
Place the pepper in a bowl with a cover and let steam for about a half hour. Run the pepper under cool water and wipe the surface until the black bits fall off. Also slice the pepper in half and remove seeds and stem. Don't walk away from the stove since it burns quickly.
2 roasted red peppers
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
2 tablespoons seasoned rice wine vinegar
¼ tsp salt
A pinch black pepper
½ cup grapeseed oil
Put all ingredients into a food processor and pulse, then puree. If you want to add a pinch of sugar you can, but the rice wine vinegar is sweet so it may not be necessary.
This vinaigrette is a beautiful red-orange, and I like to use it for steamed asparagus, drizzled in stripes across the green.