Thanks For The Memories

THE OPEN KITCHEN The open kitchen is a place where friends of Debbie and I gather to turn out works of culinary art to share with each other. This book looks like a cookbook but reading between the lines it is clearly a LOVE STORY, of two people who shared their lives for 21 years. I will become apparent that Debbie is not just of the woman I love but the woman everybody who knew her loves as well. The book started out as a family cookbook to record recipes passed down through the ages from Irish immigrants to survivors of the Civil War, but as friends saw the first family addition they all wanted to use our kitchen to demonstrate their culinary skills. Debbie and I did have some fantastic kitchens, some overlooking Lake Champlain in Vermont, others overlooking the blue Pacific in La Jolla, CA and the busy shipping activity of San Diego Bay as shown on the cover. Friends from all parts of the country would visit and we would turn over our kitchen to them and let them create and show us their culinary delights. Our kitchen was always filled with laughter as I give you an example of the background on how this adventure started. Debbie, a fashion model trained at John Powers Modeling School in Ft. Lauderdale Florida became the Manager of Nan Patrick’s one of Burlington, Vermont’ s finest woman’s fashion stores. I met Debbie Johnson and her girlfriend Jean Bluto at a restaurant across the street from Nan Patrick’s and invited them both to dinner at my lakefront condo in Burlington for some California cuisine. They accepted and the three of us had a good time as I prepared the Baja California Fish in this book. Both women loved my creation and Debbie was familiarizing herself with the kitchen and offered to cook the next time. Officially the next time would become our first date alone with each other. “What are you going to cook?” I asked. “Steak and Lobster” was her reply. “Great! Tuesday?” “Tuesday after work is fine.” Debbie arrived with all the ingredients and took over the kitchen, “Do you need help? I asked. “No, just open the wine, let it breathe and pour when dinner is served.” So I poured the wine as she sat down and took her photo. “What are you doing,” she asked. “You are so beautiful, I want to record our first date,” “Sort or corny, don’t you think?” “Time will tell!” Debbie just smiled. It was a wonderful evening, her candlelight presentation of steak and lobster was unique (see her recipe) accompanied by Caesar Salad, classical music and a roaring fireplace overlooking a Lake Champlain sunset it was an evening never to forget. The following Saturday was our second date. Debbie insisted on cooking again. “What are we going to have?” I asked, “Lobster and Steak’ was her reply. I laughed and laughed because I got the picture, and Debbie laughed right along with me. “That’s your only recipe right?” “Yes, I never cooked, we often had maids, but you like both my Lobster and Steak and my Steak and Lobster, don’t you.? “Of course I do, we will learn to cook together, if that is all right with you? Debbie burst out laughing as well and said, “Yes, I would love it.” I took her photo in front of the fireplace and she asked: “Are you recording our second date” “Yes, and I am sure there will be many more.” Debbie smiled and laughed. That evening we discussed how we will learn to cook together whatever came to our minds for dinner.