Alejandra Alfaro
Food and Travel Writing.
My Perfect Meal
Here, in Kalamazoo I wanted to challenge myself to create a tasty perfect lunch with full consciousness of what was involved. What I had in mind was a lunch in which organic and fresh meat and locally grown veggies were the star ingredients. Organic food is almost non existent in Nochebuena. At most the lettuce or spinach for salads that my mum’s friend who has a little farm, gives for free to the family. The true is that there is an ease of mindlessness when it comes to think of what we are putting in our stomach, but food ignorance is not a healthy bliss.
I had a rough idea of what I wanted to do for my perfect meal and I would fill in the details along the way. As a whole in this project I want to achieve a memorable, engaging as well as healthy lunch in which all people involved could feel comfortable.
Being away from my blood family and friends so many times I have met amazing people everywhere I go. Now, being a student in Kalamazoo College I have created my own K- family. Sara, a Spanish girl and my classmate in college has become one of the closest people I know here. Once I told her about my project, she was more than willing to go downtown with me to help me to find the ingredients for the meal.
Autumn had officially arrived and it was getting cooler and cooler here in little Kalamazoo. Although it was a cold morning the sun was a steady companion in our forty minutes walking from Kalamazoo college to the People's Food- Coop. As international students in Kalamazoo College who barely got around the town, we had to make use of that great friend called Google Maps in order not to get lost in our expedition.
People’s Food Coop is a small store away from the hustle and and bustle of the city center. As far I was concerned, there the customer could find anything from organic meat to home- grown fruit and vegetables. Once we got in, a stunning display of different kind of veggies as well as locally grown legumes in big and transparent containers were in front of us. We looked around the store getting more and more surprised by the prices. Unfortunately, most humane, organic, antibiotic- free options are more expensive. I knew that being cheap would only fill me with regret but I only had thirty five dollars in my pocket. It was good to think that I was paying for healthier options while supporting the local community, however I am not made of money. The meat- based products, even frozen, were totally overpriced. This made me think about the almost nonexistent options of healthy and accessible priced food for students or people with a reduced budget. Finally, I just could afford some ingredients for my menu a little piece of beef (18$!!!), organic soy sauce, organic girasol oil, organic onions, potatoes and garlic as well as two dozens of free-cage eggs. With these ingredients in hand I decided to make a Peruvian sauteed beef and Sara wanted to contribute with a Spanish potato omelette.
We left the store and went ahead to Kike’s apartment, a Spanish guy we met just one month ago in a Halloween party he and his flatmates hold. He offered his apartment so that I could cook the meal when I had told him about it the day before. Kike welcomed us to his little and cozy apartment which he shares with other Mexican and Spanish college students. At the moment we arrived Kike was alone at home.
It is so interesting how although we are very far away from our countries we still continue doing the same things. As a good Spanish host Kike welcomed us with a kiss on both cheeks as well as cold beer bottles, they were not organic beer but beer always pull their own weight. This is something I love from Spain and its people, they are not rushing all the time but they always have time to drink a coffee or a beer with a good friend.
After a long talk between laughter about our experiences in America it was time to start cooking. Latino music never fails in my culinary experiences wherever I go, and I was very happy to know that they love it too. Yes, I am the kind of person who dances while cooking. La bilirrubina by Juan Luis Guerra was next in the Spotify list we were listening to. Peeling the potatoes, Sara and I exchanged looks and started moving from right to left as if we were one while laughing at how we communicate just looking at each other. My mum always says: Listening to music you cook better. I cannot assure that it is true but I can admit that music makes the experience way more fun.
I would say that this was a cooperative cooking. We three were preparing our dishes to contribute to a one perfect meal only with the ingredients I bought in the store. While I was preparing the main course which consisted of sautéed beef previously marinated with garlic, salt, pepper, and soy sauce. I heated the oil in a frying pan over medium high heat and then put the sliced beef in it. After a couple of minutes the odor filled the apartment. That was a good sign. Then, I cut onions and tomatoes in big pieces that I will after add to the frying pan when the meat was almost ready. Next to me, Sara started cutting the potatoes in medium squares for her Spanish potato omelette. I was very surprised and intrigued by her way to do it My mum always cut the potatoes into very thin slices and then fry them in abundant olive oil. Kike resulted to have another way to do it. It was funny for us to find out how many different ways for preparing the same dish exist and how our own mother’s recipe is the best.
Sara made her mother’s recipe putting together the row cut potatoes and six cage- free eggs. It is unsure if the potatoes were too tough or if the eggs were so liquid, but we couldn’t achieve a consistent mixture needed for a good potato omelette. I remembered my fails in the kitchen when I was younger and my mum saying: The important thing is not the mistake but how you solve it. The omelette looked more like scrambled eggs with little pieces of potato, so we added a little bit of black pepper and shredded cheese. I don't know if someone had created this dish before but it tasted delicious. When you go with the flow, there is no reason to have regrets or to think you made a mistake.
There weren’t trays in the kitchen so we used big blue plastic plates to put the food on. I put the beef with the tomatoes and onions with a dish side of fried potatoes in the same plate. We put the plates on the wooden round table that separated the kitchen from the living room. There were still remains of the halloween party from the day we met, specially the little Mexican sugar colourful skulls and the paper figures that Wendy, his Mexican flatmate disposed all over the apartment. Sara put the “scrambled eggs with potatoes sprinkled with shredded cheese” next to mine. On his part, Kike prepared an appetizer composed of little pieces of green pepper as well as rustic loaf of bread smeared with gluten free chickpea humus. He said that it was the first time he prepared something by himself since he came to America and his excitement was reflected in his face. The dishes looked really colorful and appetizing and the smell sauteed beef filled the room. The second round of cold beer bottles were ready for us to drink. We gathered around the table and started eating. Since we sat there wasn’t a moment of silence. The talk at the table was mainly about food, travels and our culinary experiences. “I am the worst Spanish ever!! “Sara mourned every time she saw her attempt of Spanish omelette, “but that thing tastes very good!” said afterwards to comfort herself. I didn’t expected but they had a second round of food. Either because they were very hungry or because they really liked the food I admit that I felt happy because they really liked my meal but, especially because I could overcome the challenge I impose myself: To prepare a healthy and engaged meal with the company of two amazing people who have gone out of their way to help me. This project has taught me that the old saying is true: you can always depend on the kindness of strangers.
This meal was not as celebrated as the Nochebuena dinner, but with their differences both of them
are perfect. The food itself honestly looked and smelled very good (maybe because of the dancing). Neither Kike nor Sara nor me are professional cooks and it would be a total lie if we cooked a great and fancy meal. We didn’t and we didn’t pretend neither. Maybe, for others is no more than a simple meal but for me, it was my perfect meal and the gratitude my company offered me was a sign that for them it was perfect too, or at least they enjoyed it. Now I can say that eating and enjoying food together, sharing a wonderful time and make some memories it is what my perfect meal is all about.
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