Lately I have contemplated the excess in our society. Most people I know struggle with spare rooms, attics, basements, garages, outbuildings and storage units full of things they don’t know what to do with. They get caught in the indecision twilight zone and they want to keep the thing and dispose of it all at the same time. I call a good problem a champagne problem. Champagne problems are good things to have!
As I contemplated on the champagne problem of excess, I remembered when my horse Pete and I spent the winter of 2005 in Ocala, Florida. I shared a big house that was going to be gutted and remodeled with a bunch of northern Canadians who were also there with their horses. Apparently Old Mother Hubbard had gone to the cupboard and emptied out the kitchen. All that was left was a 12” frying pan, a six quart pot, a saucepan, a plastic colander, big and little mixing bowls, a cutting board and a few knives. The utensils came from the dollar store – a spatula, a big spoon, a grater. My riding instructor Tricia and I would burst into laughter every time we were in the kitchen saying “It’s all quite adequate”. You would probably have to be there to hear the humor in it.
A long table in the dining room sat 14 people. One night we were inspired to have a dinner party because someone delivered a basket of heirloom cherry tomatoes to the house; they were sweet, tart, and juicy and loaded with big flavor. Into the frying pan we tossed a goodly amount of chopped garlic and sautéed it in extra virgin olive oil. Halved cherry tomatoes sprinkled with Italian seasoning and chiffonade cut fresh basil were next. We sautéed those for just a few minutes until the tomatoes were soft and the basil was wilted. Then we cooked a pot of linguine and plated it. To add a bit of drama, we poured brandy on the tomatoes and flambéed it at the table for a touch of five-star restaurant flair. Onto the noodles the tomatoes went. Bowls of giant grilled prawns, toasted pine nuts, Parmesan Reggianno cheese and lemons circled around the table along with a salad and toasted garlic bread. Lemon sorbet and shortbread cookies cleansed the palate at the end.
To this day, I frequently think of that elegant, magical night and the simple yet splendid dinner we made with almost nothing. NO question about it, the lack of kitchen stuff was definitely a champagne problem. Champagne problems are lovely reminders of all the good things we have here on this big playground we call earth. Bring them on!