The second gift

One of the most precious gifts you can give to a cook, is the option not to. Most of us love spending time in the kitchen, we really do. And we forget that we have options: It doesn't ALWAYS have to be us who does the cooking. So if you're thinking of giving a gift to your friend, the cook, think along these lines: a meal out, or something even better. You cook for them, in one way or the other.

Yesterday, the dear friends David and Keith I write about so often, spent the day with us. A languid, hot, humid, summer day, where it is fair to say that conversation didn't "snap, crackle and pop," but a day where four friends who really care for each other and look out for each other just spent a relaxing day, together.

Of course, I started planning some kind of elaborate lunch. And as things got out of hand, David stepped in and said, very bluntly "we don't want you to cook. We'll bring over some stuff and we'll have a salad."

Honestly, at that point, I would not have minded cooking. I LOVE cooking for these guys. Perhaps it's a sense of wanting to take care of them, in one of the ways I know I can. But it's difficult to remember that that kind of sense, is reciprocated. If it's not, then it's not a good friendship. It's certainly not a great friendship. And we have a great one, one where I think "friendship" falls far from describing the relationships.

So, after we had seen a matinee, we came back to our apartment, and David and Keith became the hunters and gatherers. In came chorizo and other sausage, manchego cheese. Drunken brie cheese. Olives. Bread. All the makings for a wonderful salad, which is indeed what we ate. A great salad of lettuces, the chorizo, the cheeze , olives and a sherry vinaigrette , made with Spanish sherry vinegar . Also grilled bread with the tomato confit.

Now, I will tell you that this is a PERFECT summer lunch. the total time in the kitchen was maybe ten minutes. And we had great food. Thanks to the boys. But.. we also had a lot of leftovers, and that is, in fact the second gift.

If you are bringing over something to a cook to help him or her along, bring more than enough. Don't worry about doing things like two pounds of caviar or an ounce of saffron. No. But if youre bringing sausage, bring a quarter pound extra. Or cheese. Or something like that.

One of the reasons I love these guys so much is they "get that." They care about me, they want to take care of me, and they understand how to do it. I am blissfully grateful for that, and I STILL want to feed them everytime we're together. But having made our lucious salad, with the leftover sausage, and cheese, I began thinking: what next?

The answer came, after a quick inventory of the refrigerator, and my desire to continue a theme.

David LOVES Spain. He spends time there, speaks Spanish, and knows way more about the food there than I do. So, David, this was constructed from the leftovers, and is dedicated to you.

One of the common rustic foods of Spain is the tortilla. Now, it's important to understand that a tortilla, in Iberia, is not the same as a tortilla in Mexico. Tortillas in Spain are built aroumd softly cooked, fried eggs - amost like an omelet. Inevitably, they contain potatoes, either fried or boiled. And then the rest is pretty much up to you. So, David, here's the tortilla we made. Wish you were here to have some. How about I make you one?

First, cut about a pound of potatoes into small slices and cook them in salted water until they're beginning to soften. How long this takes depends on the size of your potatoe pieces. For me, it was less than ten minutes. Drain these, and let them cool. And now, the rest is up to you. For this tortilla, I sliced up a nice piece of very smoky Spanish chroizo into thin lozenges. I also took a cup of peas that we had saved from a recent shucking. Finally, an onion. Because I browned the onion, I did not brown the potatoes. And the rest of the manchego cheese, broken into little bits.

Put ample olive oil (maybe quarter of a cup) into a nonstick pan, and add one sliced onion, and a teaspoon of salt. Cook it gently, letting it go to translucent. While that's happening, crack and beat six to eight eggs in a bowl , just breaking them up and mixing them nicely. Put them aside for the minute, and add the potatoes, the chorizoand the peas, to the onions. You can add herbs now if you like, but dont' go nuts. Parsley is fine, the stronger herbs really aren't. When that's
all in there, slowly pour into the eggs. You'll get bubbling around the side as the eggs cook. They're cooking on the bottom, and you want to keep the cooking slow - cook it for maybe ten minutes.

While that's happening, push up your oven to HIGH - maybe 425 - and then sprinkle the cheese over the top of your tortilla. Put the whole thing into the oven and keep an eye on it. You are waiting for the top of the tortilla to set up and get firm. This may take five minutes, and it may take ten, or longer. Just keep your eye on it. when you've got it firm, if you want to, turn on the broiler and make it a nice, brown color. Wont take long.

Protect your hands, and pull the pan out of the oven. Let it cook for about five minutes, befor you do something more difficult than it sounds. Put a large plate over the pan. Protect your hands with oven gloves of some kind, and then bravely, flip everything over, and the tortilla should "Plop" right into your plate. IF it sticks , just dislodge the stuck part, and put it back whereit belongs.

The wonderful thing about this dish is that you are supposed to eat it at room temperature. There is many a Spaniard who left for work, or a trip, with a snack of a chunk of tortilla in his hand or pocket. It's great on some good bread, and it's great on a salad.

I want to make this dish with David sometime. Maybe I'll learn something from "hijo del sol."

David, you listening? Thanks for taking care of me, bud. Let me make you a tortilla.