On Thursday, after my second successful day of employment, [during which I did some reading, proofreading, and editing and thanked the world that writing is now what I actually do], I headed straight to the apartment of my favorite crunchy gal, Sofia, for an evening we deemed fit for “classy ladies.” That’s what I strive for in life, always.
My journey from midtown to Brooklyn was a bit lengthy [matched only by the absurd 90-minute trek that put me back in Manhattan at 1:30 AM - I hate you, MTA], but I finally arrived at Sofia’s adorable apartment, greeted by the smells of Asian marinades and steaming quinoa. Mmm.
She was already hard at work in the kitchen and will probably kill me for this photo:
Aside from the fact that my stomach has been conditioned to consume more vegetables than the average person, I’d say the two of us have arrived at similar places in our foodie philosophies, equally balancing health-mindedness with a true love of food and flavor. Also, we can both put away wine like champions [champions of what, I'm not quite sure]. The first time I met her, we ate raw food; since then, we seem to always require a side of less-cleansing beverages.
So we uncorked a bottle of syrah, munched on manchego and Mary’s Gone Crackers, and got to work on the menu Sofia had dreamed up. Delicious home-cooking in progress:
I even posed, after the hard-work of actually reading recipes:
The experience let us grow a little further into adulthood. Sofia conquered the Whole Foods fish counter for the first time, chatting with the fish-man in order to acquire the freshest catch:
fresh, wild caught salmon with ginger honey glaze [from spices of life]
I learned that it is actually possible to follow recipes. There are some people you just can’t mess with, and Dreena Burton is one of them.
teriyaki quinoa [from eat, drink, and be vegan]
We even tried a new vegetable [radicchio], which we had absolutely no idea how to cook. There may have been an early mishap in incorrect preparation, but all was eventually salvaged.
grilled [er, pan-fried] radicchio with sesame vinegar dressing [from spices of life]
It’s evenings like these that remind me why life as a twentysomething is a time to be treasured. Sure, we all complain about confusion, instability, single-gal woes, low funds for our dreams, and the like, but nonetheless: we have a unique form of independence. We’re learning how to be adults in the only way we can: by trying, stumbling, experimenting, and [sometimes] succeeding.
fresh-baked carrot cake, scored for free. moist, bursting with coconut, complemented by final sips of wine.
At this stage, we can teach ourselves to cook and experiment with foods both new and old. We can treat ourselves well with a good blend of food, drink, and dessert, knowing that balance includes all three.
We can decorate our very own [rented] apartments and come home to roommates we love. We can swap stories that probably won’t ever make it into the annals of our blogs. We can search for the careers we desire and determine the ways to get ourselves there.
We can do all that, knowing that we have decades of living out our lives stretching before us.
And when we waver in that knowledge? We can laugh on our girlfriends’ beds, and we can finish off a bottle of wine.
What do you appreciate about the stage of life you’re in? And when was the last time you cooked with someone else?
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This night looks beautiful! I totally want to move to NYC right now so we can do these sorts of things.
Life is hard right now.
What did u do in school? How are u a writer? I have a life crisis now :( I wrote about it in my post today…confusion piled on confusionl
emphasis on the sometimes when it comes to success… i think my accidental peeling of the radicchio is a testament to that! although i do live up to the title of champion of… stuff and things… many of which i have yet to realize? yeah.
i couldn’t have recorded the evening better myself. good times. :)
I love cooking with my husband or even having him in the kitchen working while I cook. I am sooo happy with my current life stage. There is balance and confidence and a little bit of “I don’t care what other people think” that I seriously lacked earlier in life. The career search goes on, but I am happy to finally have pinpointed fields I would like to work in!
Aside from all the incredible dishes featured in this post, I was most impressed with your wonderful writing yet again.
As for what I love best about this stage of my life, it would actually be the uncertainty. Sure, I have college plans, career plans, relocation plans…but who knows what the results will yield? Who knows if I’ll get married, have kids, etc. I love the beauty of not knowing. Also, there’s something incredibly liberating about being reliable for no one but yourself. I think having that advantage emboldens one to really go after what they want…there’s no one to hold them back!
What a lovely looking dinner! And oh girl, I can sympathize with the MTA hate. It took me foreverrrrr to get home on Friday night. I even took a little nap on the 3 train (probably not the safest thing!).
Best thing about this part of my life? I’m responsible for me and only me! I can go to yoga class after work or eat ice cream for dinner – no kiddies or husband to worry about :-)
So true about stumbling around figuring out how to be an adult, which I can say as someone almost in the 20 something camp. But while it’s scary at times, it’s also invigorating as we can figure out this adulthood business out while being responsible for only ourselves. I’ll try and relish that freedom for as long as I can!
I love that, in my stage of life, there is enough responsibility to keep me accountable, but not enough that I’m actually in any real danger of failing. I also love the fact that, looking for my first post college job, the possibilities are so VAST. Seriously; I know that the job market is pretty crappy, but just researching and finding out what different people actually DO for a living (and realizing that the range is much wider than I ever knew) makes me so excited.
Cooking is one of my favorite things, but I have to admit that I’m not very good at sharing cooking duties. “Does not cook well with others” should be emblazoned on my apron… I do, however, love having other people in the kitchen drinking wine with me while I cook :)
i love how you realize, acknowledge & appreciate where you are in your life & enjoy the beauty of it. that’s what i try to do, too. thanks for the inspiration in your lovely words <3
http://www.prettytimepiece.org
That all looks delicious — what a fun way to bond! :) I love this time in my life because I’m totally free of of obligations and responsibilities besides my own personal welfare. Take off and backpack around Australia and New Zealand for 2 months? Okay, I’m gone!