Blissful Basil Note: It is once again a pleasure to share this guest blog post by Dave Daversa with you. He is a close friend and fellow foodie that has immersed himself in cultural food experiences around the globe.
My Birthday landed on a Monday this year, and I was still recovering from a long week of lots of travel and little sleep. The talk was to go out to a nice BYOB nearby, but given my weary state and the fact that most of the best restaurants are closed on Monday, we decided to delay my birthday dinner. As the evening sun descended, my Mother arrived home later than usual from work with bursting grocery bags. I scanned the contents and then looked at my Mom who could no longer withhold the subtle smirk of victory that one often sees on an ingenious general or a sly chess player who becomes aware of one’s impending win. “Oh, I just picked up some seafood that I thought we could pick on for dinner," she said, ever so humbly. I love eating just about any creature from the sea that contains a shell and fresh shrimp and clams would be on the menu tonight? Excellent…
My Dad then entered the kitchen scene; sleeves rolled up and ready for battle. I could tell from his alert and focused face that he had clear, serious intentions. Though I could not resist slightly diverting his vision (what can I say, it was my birthday). Whereas he wanted the classic shrimp steamed in beer and old bay, I was intent on breaking out the grill. In my opinion, the charred flavor of finely grilled shrimp warrants the extra effort and preparation, even on a cold and blustery February night like this one. The solution: make both. And that is just what he did.
The clam preparation was a non-issue. We’re an Italian family, and my dad had a couple jars of hand-canned tomatoes harvested directly from his garden. Clams steamed in a light marinara-esque sauce consisting of a little olive oil and lots (I mean lots) of garlic would comprise the second component of our seafood fest. Complement this with a romaine and balsamic garden salad, and our meal was becoming complete. And then the wine came. I’ve been going through a Shiraz kick lately. In the middle of winter I crave a deep and flavorful Red, and so a South Australian select was uncorked.
And so my anticipation of a sleepy and uneventful birthday evening was, much to my approval, abruptly brushed away by my overwhelmingly hospitable family. And everything was just so great. I could go on and on about the subtle salty sensation that each soft clam emitted as it melted away miraculously in my mouth or the char-grilled punch that the shrimp provided with each bite. In reality however, the most fulfilling feature of this unexpectedly elaborate meal was leaning back on my kitchen counter, glass of vino twirling in hand, and watching my Dad make his moves in the kitchen, sweat appearing on his brow and signs of stress becoming apparent over the pressure to impress. And who cannot love the soft smile of contentedness that a Mother cracks when she knows her perpetual mission of pleasing her son has again been accomplished with flying colors? Living at home is one’s mid - no, wait…now late - twenties may be trying at times (okay, a lot of times). However, this night illustrated that such a situation has some ostensible advantages. Thanks Mom and Dad.
How nice...what a great birthday present. Mom