Le Cordon Blog

I learned to make brie and apricot bouchees, olive and garlic flat bread, asparagus and mushroom crepes, and chocolate souffle. I don't know if I will ever make any of them again, but the memories of cooking with 10 other women, many of whom I have known for most of my life, will last far longer than the recipes in my head or the calories setting up camp on my behind.

My mom hired a professional chef to come and teach us to make a 5 star brunch. It was to celebrate my sister's birthday, but no one even mentioned the birthday until 3 hours into the party. We were too busy laughing over each other's culinary inadequacies and salivating over a meal we hoped we wouldn't ruin.

It's amazing how trying to cook a meal for the first time levels the playing field. My mom who is probably the most experienced chef, or rather the most experienced everything, melted too much butter. At first, no one wanted to make the first crepe or chop the first olive. These are educated, experienced, intelligent women who were worried they couldn't turn a saute pan with enough precision to make a decent crepe. Excuses were given, engaging conversations were staged and eye contact with the teacher was avoided at all costs. But pretty soon, we knew it had to get done or we weren't going to eat.

I have had lunches, and brunches and dinners with each of these women on many occasions. But we have never actually made a meal together. I realized just how much I miss interaction with people, especially these women who I don't see very often. When I do share a meal with them, I am usually shoveling food down like I am practicing for Nathan's hot dog eating contest. I am a mom on a mission not a lady at lunch.

Everyone women looked in amazement as I cracked an egg and mixed the flat bread toppings. What a chef! They joked. Ooohh La La. They cackled. Since when did Jennie learn to do anything in the kitchen? Did Chilis go out of business? I realized how little they know about me as a wife who cooks heart healthy meals for her husband or a mother who takes her kids to the fish market to see what's fresh. They still see me as a 6 year old who can barely see over the counter tops and only enters the kitchen when it smells like a bagel is broiling.

Today I relaxed and ate slowly while Josie played with her cousins and my boys enjoyed their weekend in the North. I ran around the kitchen trying to soak up every moment because I wasn't sure when I would get my next opportunity to be with these women again. I enjoyed the cooking, I enjoyed the food but most of all I enjoyed the connection.