Special Requests
Monday, March 8th, 2010 | daily | 2 Comments
“That was a disturbing post,” Badley editorialized today about my weekend contribution. “No it wasn’t,” I assured him, “it was perfectly appropriate for the final post. It’s why I started the blog. It’s over now.” But he was having none of it. “That can’t be the final post! There’s nothing in it about me!” And so I had to explain that he was all over it, that it was all about him and all the guys who were part of that story that’s ending now. But it just wasn’t sinking in. ”For my final act I’m going to do a great graduation reception for you all,” I said. “Tell me what you want to eat.” And it was the perfect distracting move because Badley always has very definite ideas about what I should make for his dining pleasure. I was expecting boiled eggs for sure, but no, he had much grander ideas. “That raw fish stuff in those cones,” he said, “and that meat wrapped around lemons.” “Lemons?” I queried, “what in the hell are you talking about?” And he just looked at me expectantly while I did the Badley Speak translation in my head and realized he was requesting that culinary cliche, a thing I made one time when informed fifteen minutes before a major dinner that I needed to offer a little something with cocktails: proscuitto-wrapped melon.
All I Know
Saturday, March 6th, 2010 | daily | 2 Comments
Almost two years ago, when I was at least as weary of fraternity cooking as I am now and was interviewing for other jobs, I came into work and as I was unlocking my kitchen door, I was met with the news that Kevin (pictured center in black) had suffered a serious fall. I didn’t have my blog then, but a few days later I wrote, “I have only good memories of him. Of how he loved my food and could make me laugh when I was determined not to.” And then, describing the anguish of walking into the ICU and seeing dozens of the guys already there sobbing and reaching out to me for a hug, I wrote in an email, “if I ever thought this was just a job, I know differently now.” It was the first day of summer break when Kevin died and against my earlier decision, I returned in the fall and started this blog. The press surrounding the events of that awful morning was thick with inuendo and the usual fraternity-bashing disguised as community concern. But the truth is that Kevin, like most of the guys I’ve met in my time here, was smart and funny, respectful and compassionate, and I thought I could show that through these little stories.
I made coconut blondies for the guys to share when they returned from the hospital and left them at the kitchen door with a note: I love you all and I don’t live far away. Please always know that you can call/text/email me anytime. I want to give you some space tonight. It was summer and my contract was over, but I cooked a lot in the days that followed because, as I explained to the alumnus who had given me the news, “it’s all I know to do.”