Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Dinner with Sophie


You know I love my boys. You know I'd do anything for them -- in fact, I've done nearly everything for them. They are a constant source of amazement to me -- their joy, their charm, their sheer good looks -- well, I won't go on. You know that The Husband is a chef, a Swiss-trained one, and that his cooking is outstanding. You might not know that I was a chef, and while I haven't worked in a professional kitchen in years and years, I'm pretty confident that I'm a decent cook That fact, coupled with the fact that The Husband has a mistress and is therefore never home for dinner, means that I cook nearly every night.

And can I tell you another fact?

My boys are a pain in the ass to cook for.


Henry is finally at an age where he'll pretty much eat anything at any time, but it's on the run, on the fly, gotta go I'm done. It's purely utilitarian eating -- fuel for the explosive growth into manhood. Oliver, on the other hand, is extremely picky and is becoming ever more so. He appears to have regressed to that weird stage of toddler-hood when strawberries are all of a sudden verboten and  his face takes on the still mask of death when a plate of vegetables is placed before him.

But Sophie? Now Sophie can eat, and she loves nearly everything.  Tonight I made watermelon salad with feta, mint and balsamic vinegar. I scrambled three eggs and threw them in the pan with a pat of butter, some salt and grated mozzarella cheese. I toasted a baguette, and we enjoyed our dinner while the boys ran around outside with their neighborhood friends, not interested in food on the table. It's summertime, so I'm not pushing it. If they want to have a bowl of cereal later, I'll let them do it themselves. I imagine Sophie and I will be eating dinner together, alone, for years to come. I hope I'll get the chance to put some wine in her sippee cup.

27 comments:

  1. "the still mask of death"...LOL!!!

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  2. Such a poignant and beautiful post, Elizabeth, the companionship of your daughter over dinner while your husband and boys are off elsewhere. It's so loaded.

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  3. Sounds almost exactly like the dinner I just fed Amelia, except there was chopped spinach in the eggs and no gluten on the side for her... and no brothers, just a young stag out the window standing up to grab some leaves off a branch...

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  4. I agree with Elisabeth- your post is beautiful and full of doors that lead down different pathways.

    May you, and Sophie, always eat with good appetite.

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  5. I really enjoy those little intimate dinners for two when they happen. The simpler the better but still really yummy. I'm not a great cook so I enjoy stress-free meals.

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  6. There was something about this post that nearly made me cry.Not sad cry,just cry.Now if I could only get Zoey to drink form a damn sippy we could make a table up for 4 later on.

    Today was a blast. Truly. your boys your beautiful friend and son,awesome.We need to do it again soon.

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  7. The watermelon salad sounds wonderful. Eating it with a companion on a quiet evening would be outstanding.

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  8. Sounds and looks great; I'm tired of green colored meals created by the metal blades of my VitaMix for Adam...the woes of super pureed foods...always green!

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  9. I'm such a lurker, but I just have to come out of the woodwork and say that this is one of my favorite of all your posts ... such a vivid picture of your beautiful boys, even in their absence, and the image of you and Sophie together - the last line took my breath away.

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  10. i love this in so many ways. thank you for being you - and so often lifting me up because of it.

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  11. You are an artist in all ways, Elizabeth. Your words and your pictures of your life prove this. Thank you for sharing this. It was truly beautiful.

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  12. So Katie's not the only one with a sippy cup. Just makes life so much easier doesn't it?

    Katie's a good eater too, just fast and when she's done she starts throwing her food around.

    I'm learning about cereal for supper, it works.

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  13. i love the camaraderie in every delicious detail.
    bon appetit!

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  14. I can picture the two of you enjoying your lovely meal.

    I don't really cook and totally in favor of my boy eating cereal for dinner. He rarely home for what we call "dinner."

    xo

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  15. My favorite thing about this is that it sounds like you were very content to be doing just what you were doing.

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  16. Oh, this touched my heart. There is indeed nothing like the companionship of a daughter. That was the feeling I got from this. So matter of fact, yet breathtaking.

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  17. My Hilary who is about oliver's age informed me the other day that each strawberry has over 100 seeds on it.

    There's always Rotelle

    Sophie is so civilized :)

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  18. I am NOT a chef, nor a really gifted cook, but I love food and the art of cuisine. I love to read Julia Child's books and about her life and approach to cuisine. I am fascinated by other cultures and their food and traditions around it. So I can relate in my own way to what you said about your boys and their attitudes to your culinary efforts!
    Once David went to college, Gregg and I started shopping and cooking together. We made whatever sounded good and healthy to us, and it's been a pleasure to eat whatever we want to, without resistance from the "peanut gallery." But it's also good to have him home now, enjoying what we prepare; after college food, he's much more appreciative!
    I wish that "the mistress" would allow your husband to cook with you...or would that be too difficult, with both of you being professionals? I would love to watch the two of you on a cooking show...xoxoxo

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  19. P.S.: the peace and pleasure of cooking for, and eating with Sophie sounds like a balm to your heart.

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  20. I love that you and Sophie get to sit and eat together, while the boys run around being .. well .. boys! :)

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  21. Sounds lovely! I have a picky one and a not-picky one. I have a slow-eater and an inhaler and also rarely get to eat with my husband. My saving grace is that when he's here on the weekends, it's his job to cook and I just get to sit back and enjoy.

    I'll toast you both with my wine tonight.

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  22. why not? sharing bread and wine at the dinner table is a "tradition" that goes a long way back.

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  23. Lovely post. I have no doubt that your cooking is divine. Sophie knows a good thing when she tastes it!

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  24. Well I cannot cook but I sit in awe of those who do - and I am suddenly ravenously hungry.

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  25. Oh, this is just beautiful, Elizabeth! I so love your sweet, simple, delicious, meal with Sophie. And I love that you have her to share this wonderful meal with! I'm afraid no one I live with will eat this way. Everyone expects a Meal, not a meal. You know what I mean?

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  26. Sweet acknowledgment of life and change. You boys mealtime preferences will come back in time.

    My nephew refused anything but hamburgers & pizza--and my sister is a great cook--until he went off to college. Now he eats stuff he can't even pronounce.

    The watermelon salad sounds good. I have an old recipe with similar ingredients. Think I'm going to go dig it out. Thanks for the reminder.

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