Monday, February 16, 2009
And So We Begin...
I couldn't think of a more appropriate way to hail Vincenzo's 50th than to have good friends and family write on the theme "My Dinner With Vince." There are many topics on which we could have written--"My Best Political Debate With Vince," "My Most Devastating Editing Session With Vince," "My Strangest Adventure in the Yucatan With Vince"--and all of these and more will undoubtedly come into our musings, but I ask that everyone do this through the lens of eating and drinking. Think Big Night.
V's passion for sharing great food with us all reflects, I think, his passion for gathering good friends and family and of talking into the night over the best available red. As an unknown Roman, perhaps a distant relative of our protagonist, wrote: "Fervet olla, vivit amicitia--While the pot boils, friendship endures."
Whether he cooked it for you or just shared it with you, it was memorable. Maybe you'll write about a dizzying carbonara that pushed aside the dull Thanksgiving turkey, maybe it'll be a languid story of slurping fresh-shucked oysters and swigging champagne on Tomales Bay. Perhaps it'll involve king crab and garlic bread in a small house near 12 Mile, or sticky BBQ ribs eaten on a channel island in the shadow of freighters. Maybe it'll involve fiery curries and cooling lassi in a smoky East End Pakistani joint, or fresh-caught ceviche and ice-cold Coronas con limon on a Mexican beach. Perhaps you'll exult about the bucatini all'amatriciana and cheap Chianti served at a tiny Roman trattoria, or tangy guacamole and homemade margaritas on a balmy deck in Brooklyn.
Whatever you choose to write--a phrase, a sentence, 3,000 words--it will be a fitting tribute. And sure to inspire many more meals.
I'd like to dedicate this to two people who aren't with us anymore but who had a deep and abiding appreciation for good food and conversation: Vince's mother, Dolores, who made the best meatballs, the best broccoli pasta, the best anything-Italian, and his brother Dino, who, I'm told, tirelessly shared in V's quest for the best burrito in the Mission.
Buon Appetito!
Chris
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Great idea, Chris! I've got my thinking cap on and it's bringing back lots of memories.
Post a Comment