A tale of two meals...

     As I was making my lunch, Gwyne started on dinner and I asked her what she was doing because neither of us like sharing a kitchen when we're in action. She said, "I'm getting ready for Sunday family dinner." I asked, "It's Sunday already?" I looked at my calendar, groused a little about being in the kitchen at the same time and uttered her second three favorite words, "I'll be quick." Her first three favorite words? "You were right." Mine too btw. My sandwich: some seeded bread, a layer of pesto on one side, tofu with Spike, sharp cheddar cheese, avocado, cucumber, onion, tomato, cilantro and broccoli sprouts. Two pickle slices rounded out my snack, it was wonderful.

     Gwyne's dinner? Japanese beef curry and funeral potatoes. It was a bit of an odd juxtaposition of her heritage and background. She discovered Japanese curry later on in life because her mother had it every day in school when she lived in Japan and never made it for her. Funeral potatoes? She went to University in Idaho and was introduced to midwestern fare - casseroles, pot roasts and things like funeral potatoes. After my relatively light lunch, I was feeling peckish around 1600. I tucked into the Japanese beef curry first and it was good. I told Gwyne how much I appreciated it and she said, "Aww, thank you." I'm a bit sparing with my food compliments. Then I had some of the funeral potatoes. And O.M.G. They were fabulous. What was going on? A second, nay, a series of compliments about Gwyne's cooking was forthcoming. Unheard of. I asked her what was in the funeral potatoes dish, she said, "Potatoes, butter, sour cream and cheese." Note: I have familial high cholesterol, so I have to watch what I eat, which may help explain the stream of expletives that flowed from my mouth after hearing the ingredients.

     I've said this many times before, you've never heard anyone eat a bowlful of sprouts and say, "Oh, that was so satisfying." Fat is filling. Bacon is popular for a reason. And that's the same reason the funeral potatoes were so.unbelievably.good. They were filled with fat.
     Gwyne just left to drop off the Sunday family ingredients to Miranda and Mariko. And as soon as she was out the door, I had another bite (or two) of the funeral potatoes. Completely worth it. Thanks Gwyne!