The Salad Days

Oh, what an expression.

Sweet - and painful. So sweet when you are living them; so painful after they're gone.

My salad days, at least of recent years, were last year and most of this one.

As far as food goes, it was part of the love. There were eggs and biscuit products over leisurely or even hurried breakfasts. Pizza - or salads, even- and the occasional sandwich over lunch. Filet, or Mrs. Chaing's specialties, or crabcakes or . . . over dinner. Food deliveries after a long day or brought when sick; cheese plates and champagne, cocktails and appetizers; even deviled eggs and muffins brought for an all-nighter at work. Many of my memories revolve around food shared, over confidences proffered, random tidbits of childhood, of history, of all sorts of verbal banter in the best of spirits. So many memories.

But what else? The tenderness, the concern, the animation, the silliness - that was the real part of the love. Sure, it was intertwined with food, often, but the love for each other was the crux of the matter. 

And I thought it would last.

But salad turned into tears; communication turned into silence; intimacy turned into alienation.

It seems a great bit of irony - unsurprising for CN's life, I know, given all its twists and turns - that I now work in one of the places in our semi-regular rotation. Some days, I can't serve veggie and steak combo fajitas without a thought of him. Who knew sizzling platters and a side of guac and cheese could be of such emotional impact?

Most of the memories I cherish; yet there are some items, places, and environments I cannot (yet?) stomach. When I attempt to cook a fritatta (his were so good), when I have a really good steak, when I attempt to share a meal with, well, most anyone else - it gives me pause. You all know food has complicated meaning for me - a love-hate relationship, if you will - this has added a whole new element of angst. (Who says angst at 7:24 in the morning, by the way? This was just one of the kind of dorky things we would say to each other, as part of our vocabulary game . . .)

Do I still enjoy egg-y goodness? Yes. Will a great steak always make me smile, or the most delicious crabcake with a mustard-y sauce make my heart and stomach happy? Definitely. But the real message here is that sharing treats in food form with someone you love is a privilege and one of the best things in life.

Communion - friendship - flirtation that goes into something way deeper - that is way more than salad could ever be.

It is great fortune.

So now, I remember my salad days with tremendous . . . love. 

Shall they come again? I don't know. Sometimes I want a crystal ball to find out; sometimes I don't. Sometimes I want that shared chicken Parmesan, or grilled artichokes, or potstickers, or . . . 

But sometimes, wondering has its limits. And I don't know the end of that story (or do I?), or of mine. 

So for now, I know that I made my (famous-to-CN) eggs-in-a-hole, with cheddar cheese and mixed greens (ask me if you're interested and I'll tell you how I do it - sometimes I include bacon, just sayin'!) and a glass of OJ for breakfast early this morning.

And it was delicious.

Salad can be wonderful; days can be good. With food, and with relationships, maybe we can try and hope for the best. If we screw one or the other up, well, maybe we are - or become - willing to try again.

I've always said I will always remain an optimist, despite any obstacle thrown in my way.

Here's to more good food and more good - love? - along the way.

Yours,
Love Bites,
Carrie Neal

Random Happy Post

I thought I'd change things up, and I got inspired.

Food + family + friends + life + memories . . . = love.

True?

True.

So, when I had that thought, I got sentimental and it occurred to me . . . "What are ten of my favorite food and love moments, ever?"

Here goes . . . (in no particular order, mind you)

1. The filet I ordered at age seven or so, at The Ritz Carlton Naples - Mom and Dad weren't sure I knew what I was doing but indulged me anyway, and I ate every bite of that 14 oz of deliciousness! (Sorry, this happened back in the day when we couldn't document all so the best I could do was a pic of the hotel itself...)

2. The squid-ink pasta I dared to try with my friends on one of our weekend trips to yet another Tuscan city, the semester I spent in Rome . . . strange to look at but sooo delicious!

3. My own asparagus pizza, shared with a dearest friend one happy and sunny day last year . . .

4. Mom's sausage and cheese biscuits - enough said!

We made a batch for work on Friday for a manager's birthday - HUGE hit!!

5. 36th Birthday Tiramisu at Il Vagabando . . . for so many reasons, it was the sweetest thing.

6. Eggs. In all forms - with J, at home, out . . . too many times to count so here are three faves . . . 

The boy makes a mean frittata!

Breakfast love at ABE

And this is how I roll at home with the egg sammies...

6. Burger-gasm. Yep, I said it. It's that good.

C'mon - you know it's H+F, right?

7. This always, always makes my heart smile when I have it, especially with one of my oldest besties . . . 

Classic: Houston's smoked salmon.

8. My Grandmother's creamed corn. I don't eat it anymore because no one will ever make it like she did and she always made an extra batch so my cousin Rett and I wouldn't fight over who had enough...Love, heart and soul on a plate, y'all!

9. The first Thanksgiving dinner I planned, cooked and hosted solo - for 14 (in 2007)!! From apps and cocktails to turkey and such, I pulled it all off - and it was just such a fun, ginny night as the saying goes!

10. A perfect day of lunch, food, and love - in a beautiful setting . . . 

Lunch at Wente Vineyards

I firmly believe we associate memories with food and vice versa - good and bad!- and these are a few of my favorite moments, eats and memories. Think about yours! It will make your heart happy.

Yours,

Love Bites,

Carrie Neal

French Fries, Cowboy Eggs and . . . a Date

French Fries, Cowboy Eggs and . . . a Date

Well, y'all (sorry- I seem to be starting off a lot of posts like this...) Rarely a dull moment in CN Land, that's for sure.

I work lots of long hours at The Restaurant, and often have a bite of something here and there, or get done late and am so tired I'm not even sure I'm hungry (and most certainly don't want to cook!). But last night, I got off early - read: before midnight - and thought I'd venture next door to a place I'd been meaning to try for a while now.

Watershed on Peachtree. I highly recommend, if only for the decor and ambiance (though the lighting is just a skosh too low) - and for the many things I want to try off the menu and the cool people I met. More on that to follow.

I was in that stage of not-sure-if-I'm-really-hungry, so rather than a "real" order, I went with a salty staple: French fries . . . 

Deliciousness!

And I found an interesting person sitting next to me, with whom to share them. Hmmm... turns out, this man and I know people in common, had a schmorgasbord (sp?) of things to chit chat over and, well, he kissed me on the cheek as he walked me to the car - and we're having dinner next week.

Y'all.

I don't even know what to think about all this - except - maybe it's time. Maybe it's good. Maybe I've at least met a new person who will be a smart addition to my life.

So what did I do when I woke up today? Made myself Cowboy Eggs - 

Hee!

Ok, that was meant to be funny but they really looked like this - 

Mmm, call them Cowboy Eggs, Eggs-in-a-Hole, whatever- perfect breakfast for one!

Add a little canteloupe and it was perfect fortification to start the day. Many things seem to always be happening in Carrie Neal Land these days - ha, always? - and, well, maybe I should be up for the next chapters and new adventures . . . stay tuned.

Yours,

Love Bites,

Carrie Neal