Tucking into the perfect meal is a sensory experience surrounding the conversation, the company joining you, the mood of the atmosphere, and the food.
When considering my own perfect meal, I knew that I wanted to prepare a meal that I was somewhat familiar with, but that would also push the boundaries of my own abilities in the kitchen. I wanted it to be both familiar and new to me, a meal that would be exciting and challenging for me to make.
The happiness of others is something that has always mattered greatly to me. When I see that others are satisfied, I take more joy and pleasure out of the experience. My idea of a perfect meal is one that I can share with close friends, creating a meal that they will all enjoy. While my own taste matters, I think that there is more enjoyment in exploring different types of foods and getting creative in the kitchen in order to fit the needs of everyone. It is more gratifying then simply pleasuring the self with a dish that only I prefer.
In this place and time, I wanted nothing more than to share this meal with my housemates, bearing in mind their particular tastes, allergies, and overall relationship with food. I fully knew that they could provide the warm atmosphere and conversation I needed to make the perfect meal an experience that would carry over to the dinner table.
With a little thought and creativity, I finally came up with my menu. First, there would be a spinach salad with feta cheese, red onion, and balsamic vinaigrette. Then secondly, for my main dish I decided on gnocchi in creamy white wine tomato sauce, served with freshly baked baguette. Gnocchi is something that I have never ventured to cook before, and I was glad to have the opportunity to finally try my hand at it. Together, the salad and the gnocchi were something that my vegetarian housemates could enjoy without having their lifestyle choices compromised.
The recipe for the creamy white wine tomato sauce was one I had acquired the last time I was home. My mother and I paired the sauce with colored radiatori, pasta shaped like little radiators that my sister brought back from Italy. For me, this recipe is reminiscent of home, recalling a family meal that we were all able to sit down and enjoy after a long time apart. It was a meal accompanied by an exchange of stories and experiences, along with the excitement of being back together again. I wanted to revisit this meal, to experience it in a different setting, cooking it away from home for my close friends, to see what kind of experience this meal could possibly generate.
The preparation went smoothly, and I was able to really appreciate the process of cooking the meal, partly owning to the company of good music and friends streaming in and out of the kitchen. Our kitchen is fairly disorganized and one often finds their self compromising, cooking in warped pans, wondering if the baguette will fit in the oven, and serving pasta in mismatched bowls and mugs alike. Creating this meal was chaotic, as I tried to time everything just right for when everyone would arrive home for dinner.
One of the complications I faced was that sauce that goes over the gnocchi has a spicy sausage that is supposed to be added in the very beginning, sautéed with the onions, garlic, and white wine. Since three of my housemates do not eat meat, I improvised by sautéing the meat with onion and butter towards the very end. While the meat ended up a little more crispy than I would have liked, I was able to add it to the sauce after first serving the vegetarians. It added another layer to the dish, creating a subtle spiciness and change of texture, and I was happy that I decided to include it for everyone else.
Turning off the stove, I left the heat of the kitchen feeling relieved but anxious to see how everyone felt about the meal. When I came around the corner, a table that had been cluttered with books, homework, laptops, coffee cups, and breakfast dishes was now lit with candles, set for dinner, and surrounded by my eight housemates, who are chatting about study abroad. When I look back on this meal, it is already inextricable from the events of that morning, when each of us eagerly tore open our study abroad acceptance letters, an event that became one of many seasonings that truly made the meal I prepared that evening, feel perfect for us all. At that moment I felt a deep appreciation for the girls that I live with, unable to imagine sitting down for this meal with any girls quite as strong, smart, enthusiastic, and fun as them.
The bread and salad sit in the middle, with olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette. We pass around the colorful bowls and cups filled with gnocchi and share with everyone what each of us is thankful for. This is something we have always done together when we share meals together at home. It creates an intimacy at the dinner table, where we can talk collectively about the struggles that we are facing as well as the exciting and wonderful things that are happening in our lives. When taking my first bite of gnocchi, I pause and look around to see everyone’s reactions to the dish. There are expressions of surprise and contentment in finally having a well put-together meal after several weeks of eating what is convenient and quick.
It grows quiet as everyone savors their own favorite part of the meal. I smile, and take my first bite. It is even better than I remember. The gnocchi itself is soft and smooth, complimented by the rich, creaminess of the red sauce which coats the gnocchi evenly with each bite. The sauce alone is incredibly flavorful, nothing like the experience one gets after dumping a can of Prego Classic Italian sauce over spaghetti noodles after minimal preparation. The white wine tomato sauce is bold and noticeable, combining the punchy taste of fresh basil with the tangy, semi-sweet dry white wine. With the accompaniment of hot baguette and spinach salad, the meal is flawless, its effortlessness in every forkful a reflection of the very effort it to put together in the kitchen.
There is something about the splatter of red sauce on the stove as it simmers in a pan and the stack of dishes in the sink afterwards that are comforting. You feel accomplished that you have brought everyone together to eat a satisfying meal. I like knowing that I have made others happy, filled their stomachs with good food, and have been able to share the experience of making the perfect meal with my housemates, girls who have become my close friends over time through experiences like this. When we are alone we eat to live, but when we are together, we are reminded to take pleasure in our experiences and to push away from the table, feeling a little more content and fuller each time.
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