Childhood Favorites

Today was my birthday, which makes me a year older and presumably a bit wiser. And tonight, I was treated to a delicious home-cooked meal by a very special person in my life.   I believe that food is love and this meal made me feel very, very loved.  This is my interpretation of what transpired in the kitchen and in some ways, a representation of our roots and who we've become.


Caribbean-style Blue Fish with Chinese-style Sugar Snap Peas and a Boiled Egg
an adaptation of childhood favorites
Serves two halves of a whole
Pair with leftover champagne and finish with chunks of fresh Parmesan cheese


Ingredients:

• 2 blue fish fillets ordered from FreshDirect (6 - 8 oz each)
• 2 organic eggs from Horizon (because he is brand loyal)
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1 tsp. seasoned salt
• Freshly ground tri-colored pepper
• Lemon juice
• Pinches of dried spices: parsley, thyme, garlic, red pepper flakes and likely whatever else he found in my cupboard
• Olive oil for frying
• 1 lb sugar snap peas from FreshDirect
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp butter
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 additional egg, after birthday girl mentions that she needs to eat one
• Fresh Parmesan cheese from FreshDirect
• 2 glasses of flat champagne, leftover from a previous night

Directions:

1. Him: Remove fillets from refrigerator and rinse.  Pat dry with towel.  Stare at fish.  Listen to birthday girl jabber as she takes other items out of the fridge and walks in and out of kitchen.  Focus. Remember how mom makes a delicious snapper.  Feel inspired.  Say aloud, "Okay, I got this!"  Get a quizzical look from birthday girl.  Step on her toe (literally) and then politely ask her to remove herself from the kitchen because you're about to start cooking.
2. Her: Hobble over to the fridge to remove a bag of sugar snap peas.  Wonder aloud how you are going to prepare them.  Walk over to bookshelf and grab The Joy of Cooking.  Tell story about how you received it as a birthday gift years back from your friend who is a chef and it's the best cookbook in the world.  Blab on and on.  Flip to page about peas.  Ask aloud, "Should I make these with garlic and butter?  What do you think?  What did we get from the farm?  I wonder if I can do something with peas and onions or peas and mint."  Listen for response, but barely pause for breath.  Read about how the sugar snap stems and strings need to be removed.  State aloud, "Wow. I never knew that it was mandatory..." Realize that you are talking to yourself.  Look up at the guy in your kitchen, who is humming and singing and about to...
3. Him: Crack two eggs in a bowl.  Beat lightly. Look for flour.  Ask birthday girl who is engrossed in gaining pea insights from her cookbook bible where the flour is located... and the olive oil... and the garlic powder.  Pour flour onto a plate.  Add seasoned salt.  Look for ground pepper.  Realize that the pepper canister is empty at the same time that girlfriend says, "Oh, I don't have any left."  Ask, "If you know that, then why do you keep this in your cupboard?"  Toss empty canister into garbage.  Listen to more commentary about peas.  Use grinder full of tri-colored peppercorns.  Remove the most colorful spices from the cupboard and sprinkle them over the fish.  Say, "Hmm. Should I call my mom?" but think better of it.  Dredge and coat fish in egg, then in flour.  A few minutes later remark, "Wow. This is going to be good..."
4. Her: Smile and say, "I can't wait to taste it!" Look up at the progress that the boy is making and realize that your pea reading is making you lag way far behind.  Rinse peas and start de-stemming and de-stringing.  Be reminded of how grandpa would do the same thing every day in his restaurant.  Come to the decision that if he is making a family-inspired dish, then you will make Chinese-inspired sugar snap peas.  After all, they are almost like snow-peas, according to The Joy of Cooking.
5. Him: Heat oil in a large pan.  Look over at birthday girl and ask, "How are we coming along there?" knowing that the peas will never be ready in time since she keeps jabbering.  Remark on how yoga has helped with your cooking skills and life skills in general.  Joke with birthday girl about how Alan Finger learned photography through meditation.  It's probably true.  Wait for oil to heat thoroughly and then gently slide each fillet into the pan.  Listen to the sound of...
6. Her: "Ahh...the perfect sizzle," you say as you hear the fish hit the pan.  Feel genuine pride for his ability to replicate his mom's cooking and his own favorite dish.  Remove stems from the last peas, feeling the crunch between each thumb and forefinger.  "They're done."  Admire a job that grandpa would likely approve.  Ignore the pain under your nails from pinching off the stems.
7. Him: After placing lid on pan, allow fish to fry on each side for about 5 minutes.  Admire the smells and aromas.  Be told that the birthday girl needs to eat a boiled egg for dinner because it is a Chinese birthday tradition. Okay. Find a pot, fill it with water and begin to boil an egg as she chatters about how to bring the water to boil, remove the pot and let it sit for 6 minutes to make an egg perfectly soft-boiled and yet she says she wants it hard-boiled.  Women.
8. Her: Feel thankful for the man in your kitchen who is frying up some fish and boiling an egg because of some random tradition and making this birthday completely worthwhile.  Remark on how you wish you had some wine in the house.  Remember the champagne in the fridge.  Watch him fill up two glasses with champagne that now looks like chardonnay.  Flat champagne is better than no champagne. Ahh. Decide that you should probably start to cook those darned peas. Remove the boiling egg from the stove top.
9. Him: Remove the fish from the pan and set on plates.  Watch birthday girl try to re-use the pan to sauté her peas. Say, "If you do that, the peas will taste like fish."  Watch her sulk and pull out a different pot. Women.
10. Her: Melt butter in a large pot. Add three cloves of garlic. Watch it foam.  Add the sugar snap peas and stir with spatula until all peas are coated with butter. Yum.  Sprinkle with salt and cover with lid.  Agree that you should both start eating the fish now before it gets cold.  Sit down at table.
11. Him: Light a candle and watch birthday girl close her eyes to make a wish before blowing it out.  Clap. Make a toast.  Taste the fish, which has turned out delicious.  Mom would be really proud.  Finish the fish and most of the wine.
12. Her: Walk back to the peas which are now bright green and fully cooked, almost like they have been stir-fried.  Decide to make the peas a bit more Americanized and add fresh thyme, give it a stir.  Serve on plates which have now been licked clean from the fish.  Sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan to give it a different kick.  The boy has two helpings.  Decide that the Parmesan is so good that you cut off a few pieces for dessert.
13. Her: Several hours after the food coma has worn off, find yourself back in your kitchen, searching for that boiled egg, needing to eat it before your birthday is over.  Gently roll the egg on the counter, the way grandma taught you how to peel an egg.  Try to do it in one shot like she always did, but fail and do it your way.  Remember how mom used to make the best soft-boiled eggs when you were a little girl.  Smile.  Eat all of the egg whites and decide that because you're a year older, you will forgo the yolk this time.
14. Her: Savor the moment, realizing that we are who we are because of our roots and no matter what, those lessons and traditions will always be a part of you - even intuitively - and can be shared in the form of fried fish or sautéed vegetables or boiled eggs. And realize that the potential to experience different backgrounds is at our fingertips, sometimes simply in the form of flat champagne or grated Parmesan.  Feel grateful that you live in a time where different cultures can come together on a plate and different people can be connected through their similarities. Realize that  you really have come quite a long way this year. Sit down to blog about it. Happy Birthday to me.