#6 Dinner with Edward by Isabel Vincent
Let me
begin, dear reader by explaining my often warped criteria for choosing reading
material:
·
Title
– Does it have an interesting title? By interesting I mean, cool, funny,
sing-song-y (see my upcoming blog of the book Ruby Red Heart in a Cold Blue Sea), metaphoric
or deep and wrought with implied meaning.
·
Cover
art – I’m a sucker for cover art. A b-e-a-utiful picture really does say a
thousand words. That’s why choosing a
picture for my own novel “Erosion” was so difficult and so very important. Intriguing graphics can also stop me in my
tracks.
·
Tag
line – Tag lines can hint at the juicy bits held within. The proverbial carrot
in front of the donkey, if you will.
Dinner with
Edward has it all: A very simple calligraphic title with artistic line drawings
of the Empire State Building, a martini glass and a turkey as well as a tag
line that reads “A Story of Unexpected Friendship”. Anyone who knows me knows I LOVE food. I love
to cook. I love to eat. And I love playing host. From the cover alone, it was obvious that
this book would appeal to the foodie in me but to be rewarded with a
heartwarming story of an unlikely friendship woven throughout this memoir was
both surprising and truly delightful.
Isabel
Vincent writes about her dinners with Edward, the father of her friend, Valerie
who sets them up (no…not like that!) at a low point in their lives. From the
moment of that first introduction, a wonderful friendship blossoms between a 40
something woman with boy trouble and a nonagenarian whose wife has just passed who
meet weekly to share their joys and their life’s trials over wonderful meals
that Edward prepares. As time passes and
their friendship deepens, Edward shares the story of his life and his seemingly
old fashioned wisdom over Martinis and crisp Vouvray or Malbec which accompany
spectacular meals while Isabel takes to heart his thoughts on love and life as
he knows it.
After
finishing this little book, I was reminded of some of life’s basics tenets:
·
Cooking is a passion and sometimes an
art form. Have you ever enjoyed eating something so
much that your eyes have closed in bliss? The first time I’d experienced this
was at a now closed restaurant called “Gourmet by the Sea” near Campbell River,
BC. We ordered a Caesar salad which was
flamboyantly made at our table and I remember my husband at the time saying
that if money weren’t an issue, we’d fly here for lunch just to order the
salad. It was that good! Caesar salad as art…yum!
·
Dinners are rituals imbued with a
sense of occasion. I have very fond memories of Sunday dinners
growing up. I now appreciate the time Mom took to lay out her lace tablecloth and to set the
table with her china and crystal on an everyday Sunday and not just special
occasions speaks volumes of her love for her family. I remember my grandmother sitting on a chair in the kitchen sipping her sherry listening to me play piano while our dog Sandy sat beside her waiting for the occasional pat. I
loved the smell of a roast beef cooking in the oven and then helping Mom make
gravy (to which I obviously didn’t pay close attention because I still struggle
making gravy and upon further reflection, I was probably more just the gravy
taster which is likely why my gravy sucks and I go out of my way to plan a meal
that doesn’t include gravy unless my Mom is over to help). From setting the table to serving a favorite dessert my mother made every Sunday dinner a ceremony.
There’s a
moment in the book where Edward is hosting Isabel for a dinner of Oysters
Rockefeller, Avocado Salad with homemade Blue Cheese dressing, Tarte Citron and
Pinot Blanc. Upon hearing the menu Isabel asks Edward “What’s the occasion?” to
which he replies “Do we need one?”.
I love
Edward’s response and I think that is precisely the point. Do we need an
occasion to sit down to eat a fabulous meal or to eat as a family? Don’t get me
wrong, dear reader. I’m not suggesting that we be dressed in our finest to go
up and down the Safeway aisles waiting for dinner inspiration a la Julia Child to
hit us. Nor am I suggesting that we revert back to the idealism of the fifties
where women stayed home and cooked, wearing Bette Crocker aprons and sporting
perfectly coiffed hair and a newly pressed dress waiting her husband’s return
with a kiss and a cocktail.
I know that
life today moves pretty fast. Through technology, we are more connected then we
have ever been before yet many of us feel disconnected from our lives, from
what really matters. What I am suggesting is simple: Take time for the people
in your life that matter to you. Notice how I
said “people that matter” and not “things that matter”? Sometimes (who am I
kidding…I should say all the time) this is easier said than done.
That is why
I’m planning to follow some of Edward’s advice. I'm going to try to make one meal special every day.
If you have children in your life, try to share a meal daily or in the case of
busy young adults like me, a few shared meals a week. Better still, get the little people in your life to
help you chop vegetables or set the table. It doesn’t have to be a fancy feast
like what Edward made for Isabel (although if you can cook like he can, be sure
to invite me)! Sometimes simple is best, especially if you're racing out afterwards to soccer or dance.
Make a meal special even if there's no one to share it with. I’ve whipped up some amazing dinners
for one with ingredients I have on hand. Splash some olive oil in a pan, toss in some
chopped vegetables, a good amount of garlic, herbs from my garden or jar if its
winter, toss in some shrimp or chicken and voila! Add a glass of flavored water
or better still, a glass of wine and I have a lovely meal that always puts a
smile on my face. I have also eaten leftovers standing over my kitchen sink
which is just sad. There was no ceremony, nothing that says I care about me.
Yet by making a simple meal or even just plating leftovers and actually sitting
at a table to eat it, I feel special; taken care of and not quite so sad or lonely.
And whether you eat on your own or with the special people you share your life
with, try not to have the TV on and don’t allow phones at the table. This may
be the only time you spend together.
Make it count.
I’d like to
end with a few Edwardisms:
·
Listen
to some great music while you prep your meal and while you eat. Edward loved music of the 40’s
and 50’s like Ella Fitzgerald or Thelonious Monk. I personally like kitchen dancing to the Canadian
band Great Big Sea. Music can lift your spirits tremendously after
a long day at work and will ad ambiance to your meal.
·
Enjoy
a cocktail while you work. Again, this speaks to my very soul. In these modern
times of watching my weight and alcohol consumption, I may restrict this to
weekends only. Maybe…
·
Wear
more lipstick. Edward doesn’t just dispense advice about cooking techniques. He
gives friendly advice to help heal the soul too.
·
Use
words like “Darling” and phrases like “you look smashing” or “knock ‘em dead,
kid”. Genteel language from a kinder
time.
So dear
reader, in case you haven’t deduced by now, I loved this book. It was a
delightful read from start to finish and has me believing in “the magic of
Edward” and aiming to incorporate a little bit Edward into my own
life.
Treat each day as the gift that it is. Savor life instead of wolfing it
down. Until next time…have you read a
book today?
Julie
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