My friend Solana swept gracefully into my apartment last night with a bottle of red wine that (almost) bore her name—a very nice Santi Valpolicella Solane—and helped me finish rolling out fettuccine through the pasta machine I plan to use more often in Brooklyn.

Catching up on her recent travels (she journeys to places like Bangkok and Taipei), we spent a long time talking about the state of translation online, and this was after I was able to turn a tricky ingredient into something palatable.

Solana bravely tried the sautéed baby chanterelles and decided she does, sometimes, like mushrooms. We also stirred in baby leeks more slender than scallions (that have a flavor less sweet than ramps and closer to lemon) and corn browned in the pan along with a bit of butter and Parmesan.

As favorite dinner guests do, she soaped the dishes while we let chopped rhubarb simmer with sugar and I whipped cream to dollop on top. Solana told me we had made red porridge, inadvertently borrowing from her Danish culinary traditions, but it all seemed to make sense in this new kitchen where I am making new traditions…

Related posts:

1. and dessert will be simple
2. while my butter gently weeps
3. pppsst: spsp (summer pesto squash pasta)

1. Mica:
   July 23rd, 2009 at 1:52 pm

   Ooh, red porridge! Maybe I can find some rhubarb and try to make that myself, though I’m sure it’s more fun with another’s company.

   I love that your guests not only enjoy a good meal, but that they help prepare it as well!

2. Amanda:
   July 23rd, 2009 at 5:31 pm

   Kristin, your mention of your new kitchen only peaks my interest in SEEING your said kitchen… modern and spacious, or are you working wonders in tight quarters?! Inquiring minds want to know :)

3. David Sasaki:
   July 23rd, 2009 at 6:13 pm

   Sounds like a lovely dinner. :)

4. Kristen:
   July 23rd, 2009 at 7:35 pm

   Mica, I think you’d like the rhubarb, and the boyfriend could stir. I’m lucky that all my friends like to help cook—you’re right, it is more fun.

   Amanda, you make an excellent point. Look for something soon on with light pouring through the kitchen skylight as I attempt to “master the art of French cooking” for that wonderful video geek I used to sit near…

   D, your name came up. Seems impossible dinners with Solana could be anything but lovely. Hie thee to Brooklyn already—

5. Solana:
   July 23rd, 2009 at 9:25 pm

   Oooh Kristen, thank you so much for dinner.

   I think I might only like those specific mushrooms, in this specific dish. Which only goes to prove you are a genius. I really enjoyed the meal.

   See you soon, Brooklyn neighbor!

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Posted by Kristen Taylor on Thursday, July 23rd, 2009, 11:53 am * Filed in Food, Market. * Tags: cooking, farmers, Food, homemade, kitchen, kristen, kthread, Market, pasta, square, taylor, union. Follow responses through the RSS 2.0 feed. Leave a response, or trackback from your own site.