When I was young, my family frequented a restaurant where we were close friends with the owner. The waitresses knew us from the time we were in baby carriers and we were always showered with attention and shirley temples (with extra cherries).
The owner, a rotund man, would sit at a table in the corner of the restaurant, chain smoking cigarettes while greeting his patrons. He would let us run wild and to my extreme delight, allow me to pop in and out of the kitchen. It was my first taste of getting to pass beyond those mysterious doors and into the kitchen world I would someday call home.
I can still taste the cube steaks, ravioli, fried zucchini, fillets, and fried potatoes, but the best part of each visit was dessert. I can not to this day recall any of the items on the dessert menu other than the creme de menthe sundaes. Perfect round spheres of vanilla ice cream swimming in a pool (yes, pool, I love me some creme de menthe, and they would let me pour to my little sugar-fiend hearts content) of bright green minty liquid treasure. Presented to me in a petit metal cup, I would always make sure to give myself enough creme de menthe with each bite of ice cream, yet save enough so that I could tip the cup to my mouth at the finale and drain every last drop. (There may have been a little licking of that metal cup, I’m not going to lie to you.)
Tonight, in a bout of nostalgia, I recreated my minty pleasure. It’s very simple. Find a gorgeous bowl. Scoop Haagen-Dazs vanilla. Pour creme de menthe over. Eat. Take a trip down my memory lane. Don’t forget to lick the bowl.
Much Love, Croi
Song of the Day: One Line by: PJ Harvey
