Of food and friends

A good title is one that a friend bestows on you and that fits you well - your talents, your personality, your life. Before I talk about food I would like to talk about my title.

Many years ago, long past the statute of limitations, I went to visit my then-girlfriend. She lived a couple of towns over but I figured I'd surprise her. She was out at the time, but her other boyfriend was visiting from across the state for the weekend. This was a small surprise to me as I hadn't heard he was coming to town. We chatted after I entered the apartment. I wished she was there, for obvious reasons, but I was glad to see him as he was a friend. 

He took another hit off the bong he had placed on her kitchen table. He'd politely offered me a drag from the bong, and I politely refused as it just wasn't my thing. After a little catching up he said, "I'm hungry!" I guess it was something he smoked. 

"Let's go get lunch," I replied. I was pretty hungry myself and generally have a pretty healthy appetite.

He wasn't familiar with the town, so I brought him to my favorite Chinese restaurant. It was a comfortable sit-down affair with very good food and excellent lunch specials, a place which now only exists in memory. We ordered a total of three luncheons for the two of us - exactly what I can't remember for the life of me, but one was his, one was mine and one we agreed on - with one bowl of wonton soup for him, one bowl of egg drop soup for me, and one more bowl of egg drop soup for a spare. This place made its egg drop with bits of diced tomato, a sprinkling of scallion and a good salt level, and it was my gold standard for years. After we each ate our bowls I was eyeing the second bowl of egg drop hungrily; but even hungry as I was, I asked him, "Have you had egg drop before?"

"No," he answered.

I pushed the bowl toward him. "You should try a spoonful. If you don't like it I'll eat it."

He took a spoonful. "This is great! Tons better than wonton!" he exclaimed, eating the rest of the soup. I admit I would have liked the bowl, but I was pretty pleased that I had introduced him to something he enjoyed that he hadn't tried before.

When we were done with lunch, we stopped by the Italian pastry shop all of a block away from the restaurant, a place still doing a thriving trade all these years later. I enjoyed eating my rum balls, a confection of little pastry balls filled with custard, dipped in chocolate ganache, soaked in rum and served with whipped cream. As we ate dessert, I remember a distinct conversation about him finding a copy of "The Little Golden Book of Psychoactive Drugs" in a library somewhere. I have never heard mention of such a book before or since, but it was a fun discussion.

I ended up going home that afternoon, which was fine. Sometime in the next few days, when I next visited my girlfriend, she told me that her other boyfriend was raving about the meal. She quoted him: "The man is a foodgod! Not only did he manage to get me stuffed, he did it for under $10!"

Times do change. My girlfriend from back then, last I knew, had taken steps to change to a man and was getting his Master's degree. He doesn't like me at all and hasn't for many years, if he even thinks of me. The other fellow, well, I see him around the 'net sometimes but we don't say hi. He's still on good terms with my ex-, last I knew, and he may share his opinion of me. I wish both of them well. 

Regardless of present circumstances with them, this memory is one I cherish. It is always sweet, never bitter, and barring dementia I will treasure it for the rest of my life.