Dinner with Gena - January 15, 2013

I met my dear friend, Gena Bone, over thirty years ago during the one year that we overlapped at Bard College.  We have always stayed in touch and Gena and her husband, Kevin, have become great friends to Joe and me.  I have watched with pride and admiration as I have seen her career grow from being a free lance food writer to a very accomplished author with many amazing food books under her belt.

She was in town last night on business and stayed with us.  We of course, asked her to cook for us and invited a few friends and family over to share the meal.  It has always been a treat to sit at Gena's table and last night was no exception.  Gena sent me a two page email early in the week of all the food I needed to buy and the prep work I needed to do.  I was chopping and dicing and doing all kinds of things for a couple of days, not really knowing what Gena was going to do with all of the various ingredients I was preparing.

Once Gena took over the meal came together quickly.  We had a dip of anchovies with lemon and olive oil for endive and fennel to start.   Then we had a pasta course of with a lovely tomato and onion sauce.  Next was chicken braised with wine and pancetta.  We finished with fried ricotta dusted with confectioners sugar.  Oh, and just a bit of wine.

Thank you thank you Gena.  Please come back.  We love you and think that perhaps maybe you should live with us always.