Thursday, March 26, 2009

Family Rules: Dinner with Chef Jordan

My brother, Jordan, invited me, Mark, and our friends Udi and Hila over for dinner last night at the NYC apartment he moved into 6 months ago. It was one of his first times hosting. When I asked what he was going to cook, he said, "I don't know, but I only have one pot and one pan." I knew we were in for a memorable night. Here are the highlights:
  • Toilet Trouble. The first thing I did when I got there was clog the toilet. (No, not on purpose, and I swear all I did was pee!) Water gushed and piled a few inches high on the bathroom floor. Jordan had to wash a load of towels he used to stop the flooding. And our pitbull Sadie (that's her in the pic!) tried to maul the maintence man, who came armed with a plunger and a mop.

  • Top Chef. Jordan "cooked" dinner. This meant he watched water boil for pasta while ordering me to arrange the appetizers, slice cherry tomatoes, cut fresh mozarella cheese, set the table, pour the wine, and wash the dishes. I even used a salad spinner -- who uses those anymore?

  • Pasta Puddle. While draining the pasta in a colander in the sink (Jordan's only task of the night), one wrong flip of the wrist cannonballed half the penne into the dirty sink. We washed it off. As Udi and Mark agreed, worse things happen at restaurants!

Picture all this happening while Sadie barks at every noise, Jordan and I get super-distracted by preparing supper, and Udi and Hila grill Mark about projects they're working on together. I was smart to get two bottles of wine, although a third wouldn't have been a bad idea!

All kidding aside, on the cab ride home (which my brother insisted on slipping me a $20 for, like the sweetly protective older bro he's always been), Mark and I talked about what a nice time we had. "You worship your brother, you know that?" Mark said, eyebrows raised. I tried to deny it, but it's true. Older siblings have a special place in a younger sibling's heart. In my eyes, Jordan's always been my idol. I'd slice cherry tomatoes all day for him -- and I know, in a bind, OK, a really, really big bind -- he'd do the same for me.

Are you close with your siblings, or as opposite as night and day?


3 comments:

  1. I love my siblings. Although we're very different. I also love salad spinners. Don't knock 'em. :)

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  2. My bro and I are definitely different people, but we love each other. It helps that I'm 8 years older. I always wished I had an older brother. That's part of the reason I'm so glad Jude was a Jude and not an Abigail. He can be an older brother someday.

    I'm cracking up about Udi & Hila shrugging off the rinsed pasta. I would have done the same thing!

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  3. I wish I were there. I would have loved to see the chef preparing the sumptuous meal. I truly wish I had had a brother who would have boiled water for me. Knowing the two of you, it is a delight to see how much you care for one another.

    (I would have washed off the pasta too!!)

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