The Last Fling & Caviar Pasta

“We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid.” – Benjamin Franklin

The weekend before California went into “shelter in place” aka lockdown, I traveled to Los Angeles for a last minute excursion to see a LA Kings Hockey game with friends. The four of us were blissfully ignoring the fact life was about to severely change. The mission was simple – hockey, enjoy some art and a feast at Officine Brera. The non-stop conversation was interspersed throughout the day with thoughts about COVID-19 and that it wasn’t going to stop any of us from enjoying life and living. Our trip to Panama to rendezvous with a group of friends for a birthday was just two days away.

The prior week was spent fully preparing to board the plane with masks, sanitizer, Airborne and last minute confirmations of dining reservations. Fear was not going to stop us – not even our friends asking if we really should be traveling. The nagging voice in the back of our brains occasionally reared its ugly head, making both us wonder if it was the wisest thing to do. Neither of us could be quarantined on an island for an extended period of time, no matter how appealing Gilligan’s Island makes a permanent island vacation look. By Sunday afternoon, the reality set in for both of us that there would be no Panama.  The trip was canceled less than 24 hours before we were scheduled to leave.  By the end of the week our state was on lockdown and our hometown had its first COVID-19 cases and deaths revealed.

 

 

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Less than two weeks later I was thrown into the most insane time I’ve experienced in my career – PPP Loan Program.  (The Great Recession of 2008/2009 was a cakewalk compared to this, and I ponder frequently why I am still a banker.) Feverishly working 24/7 from March 30th-May 8^th, I barely took time to sleep or eat. Showers were my luxury “me” time everyday. Most lenders were doing the same, frenetically trying to secure funding for anxiety ridden clients. Our job was to be a beacon of hope and light for them, while they berated you. I found myself occasionally longing for the boredom and binge watching of Netflix that friends were complaining about. I found myself seconding guessing if I should have taken that permanent vacation to the islands.

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The boys – Peter Pan, My Devoted Houseman (MDH) and His Royal Highness HRH kept me sane by sending funny videos and memes, making sure there was time for a good meal break, and reminding me that at the end of the day what counts are those that are there for you when you are under pressure.

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HRH (one of our dearest friends) thought he should order a few necessities during lockdown. For most, caviar may not be a necessity, but when you are rejoicing in the small things that bring “normalcy” to your life, it is. Night one of our caviar bliss was toast points with crème fraiche and caviar. Night two of our caviar decadence was a pasta dolloped with caviar. The pasta inspiration was from Ludo Lefevbre (who coincidentally was sitting a few rows down from Peter Pan and I at the hockey game).  This pasta is super simple and can be make with any quality of caviar since it really is meant to add the briny, saltiness to the pasta.

For extra flavor, I like to cook the pasta in the water I cook shrimp or any shellfish in to add extra flavor, which is what I did with this pasta. I also break my spaghetti noodles in half, to make eating a little easier for dainty ladies like myself. (Okay, maybe I’m not dainty, but I hate a mouthful of noodles hanging out my mouth.) While the pasta is cooking, make the sauce by melting butter, adding dry white wine and heavy cream, white pepper and a little salt. When the sauce is thickened, use a spider tool to transfer pasta to braising pan with the sauced and combined. Seriously simple and luxurious soul food.

The pasta was paired with a Gogi Goldie Chardonnay. It is a California Chardonnay from Ampelos Cellars in Santa Rita Hills are in Northern Santa Barbara County. The wine is more French in-style which pleases my palate with a chalky minerality, and hints of vanilla cream. The minerality paired well with the rich cream and butter sauce the pasta was dressed in.  The Goldie Chardonnay usually runs around $50 a bottle and can be purchased online at gogiwines.net

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Now, that the PPP hysteria is behind me, I find a new set of stress upon me. The reinvention of what the future looks like. In our lifetimes we will never return to “normal” and I am okay with that. Normal was not healthy for society in many aspects. Now is when innovative, creators will find ways to make our society and world a better place.

Peter Pan provides the beacon of light and hope, constantly reminding me that we will emerge from this better and stronger. I believe him, because we already are. Priorities have shifted and our focus more on those who provide us the trade balance in life that we all crave and need – unconditional love and support.