Good Offerings

Tonight was payback night. High school buddy Sally took Alma and me out to dinner to thank us for all the rides, errands, tech support, and so on during her visit to Massachusetts. Picking a restaurant was starting to get so complicated, I almost volunteered to cook a meal at my house. But then I thought, the idea was for Sally to treat us, so let her have the satisfaction of doing it.

We ended up at the Iron Chef in Longmeadow, on the theory that Cicily could get a vegetarian meal and Alma, observing Passover, could avoid meat and yeast. The Iron Chef serves Chinese and Japanese cuisine.

I do love Chinese food, and certain Japanese dishes as well. I've learned to make the ones I like best, so I don't really have to go anywhere to enjoy them. Unfortunately, most Chinese restaurants don't serve in the traditional manner (small portions of a variety of dishes). If I limit myself to one vegetarian choice, I'm looking at a massive pile of broccoli, or eggplant, or green beans, with maybe a small bowl of white rice alongside. The goopy chop suey style mélange with the slimy mushrooms isn't even an option for me.

So I had the massive pile of eggplant, the ubiquitous bowl of white rice, weak tea, and a fortune cookie. The talk never turned to family--I still know next to nothing about what Sally's been up to the last forty-odd years--but we had some good conversation, and it was pleasant to be among old friends.

Here's one of those enigmatic fortunes that's more frustration than help. Good offerings are out there. Fine. Now I just have to look in "the right places." I wonder where those are?