When I recently told fellow blogger Glenn that, over dinner and wine, I had reconciled with a friend with whom I had had a disagreement, he commented “food is the great conciliator. It brings people together in a way few other things can.” Very true! And underground supper clubs are a fantastic example of this.
Rodney and I had the pleasure of being guests at our first such dinner in Jamaica Plain on Saturday. Except for brief email exchanges with the hostesses, neither of us knew anyone at the dinner, so we were excited to be sharing a meal with new friends.
When we arrived the kitchen was buzzing with activity. Kate was preparing yummy Southern-style BLT biscuits, Brad and Sarah were assembling roasted asparagus tied with chives and making the accompanying vinaigrette for the salad course, Meighan was frosting cookies, and Maura, our intrepid hostess, watched over the grits cooking on the stove.
It took Rodney and me a couple of minutes to figure out where we could fit in without getting in anyone’s way. We found our niche preparing the Campari Orange Spritzer. Working like this requires flexibility since you haven’t had the time to develop knowledge of the other people’s work styles, as you would with colleagues, family, and friends.
At 8:30, the lights were turned off in observation of “Earth Hour.” As we enjoyed our roasted pork tenderloin and cheesy grits in candlelight, conversations ranged from media and blogs to recipes, the advantages of a raw food diet (including organ meat), and other underground dinner experiences. The homemade sage ice cream and cookies prompted praise from all corners and completed the delicious meal.
We were impressed with how much care Maura had taken with not only buying organic, but also purchasing local meat, dairy, and produce. It was certainly a memorable evening. Thank you Maura and Kate for making it possible!
