every week if we're lucky there's a package waiting for us on our doormat when we return home from work. silvio always swoops up the goodie and goes running for the tv and consoles knowing it’s a videogame waiting for a review. tonight, we received a very very very special package. it was bigger than a breadbox. sizeable enough to hold a gamecube!
looking at the packaging label we got more confused. it said amana meat shop and smokehouse in the from corner. we didn't order any beef? silvio pointed out that it was a gift for atari and godzuki as their names were on the label. no way, i blurted running inside. someone bought atari and godzuki gourmet cat food?! silvio quickly cut open the package and found a mini styrofoam locker filled with meat goodies. two filet mignon steaks, two new york strip steaks, two pork chops, two iowa chops and a package of hickory smoked bacon to be exact. i didn't know i could get so giddy over frozen meat but here i was salivating over choice cuts!
all our friends know we can’t afford new york city restaurants anymore. we opened our company five months ago and have put every available cent into it. forgoing blue ribbon dinners for payroll, our friends know life ain’t what it used to be. almost every meal is home cooked. although this is my preference for most meals, it’s hard to cook full courses after a long day at the studio. but we do it anyway. i’m trying out more recipes and enjoying the staples more.
who sent us the package? fumbling through the box looking for any kind of receipt, we found a note that read, “if you’re going to be cooking at home more often, here’s some meats to keep in the freezer for a protein fix. thanks for the ever-ready fun in the big city!” and it was from justin, our most recent houseguest! it’s great having visitors. they’re generous often treating us to a meal in trade for a bed and company. sometimes they even bring over specialties from their home turf (michael from sweden brought us tons of stockholm’s finest foods). we’ve received plenty of thank you meals and presents and have sent some ourselves in the past but i never thought to give gourmet bacon as a present. as happy as we are tonight, i’ll have to think about it the next time there’s cause for gift giving (vegetarian friends, i’ll send you fruit baskets)!
over the next few weeks every time a steak thaws, we’ll say some happy words in the name of justin for our blessed meal. merci beaucoup and cam o'n. what a kind gift!
funny side story: while i was in the bathroom, silvio came over and said, “that ice hurts!” and i yelled over, “don’t touch it! it’s dry ice!” but it was too late as silvio had already peeled back the package to see what was keeping everything so frozen inside. i asked silvio if he knew what dry ice was and he said, nope. he’d never seen it. and i asked if he’d ever bought an ice cream cake cause that’s what they use to keep the cake cold while you drive it home. nope, again. so i said, let me show you something cool and proceeded to pour the ice into a big pot of water. immediately smoke and bubbles appeared and filled up the whole kitchen sink. a lot of “that’s cool!” was exclaimed by the both of us. this with smoke machines is what hollywood uses for smoke effects i explained (i am master of the obvious). silvio’s never seen dry ice before because he’s from france -- land of fresh organic food. he’s never had to deliver something frozen.
