We all have them.

Those people in our lives that we look up to. Whether it be as a friend, a parent, a caregiver, or a spouse. I just so happen to have someone that checks all of these boxes, and her name is Kaylee.

Chapter 1: Flamin’ Hots & Twizzlers

Kaylee and I met at a time in our lives where low-rise jeans, black choker necklaces, and the artist 50 Cent were a thing (is that what we call him?). I am certain all three will, in due time, make a dramatic comeback. We became fast friends, after realizing (or rather, admitting) years later that we (I) had a girl crush on one another (her).

As we continued through our awkward adolescent years with our other best friend, Sara, it became very evident very quickly that some of our favorite times spent together included odd ingredients (yucca root), familiar flavors (pickles, and the largest jar you can find, please), and some type of craft.

We were in high school. Puff paint reigned supreme, ok?

Food quickly became an integral part of our gatherings, slowly realizing that we unknowingly yet consistently planned some type of snack, treat, beverage, or meal that was meaningful in some way:

• Flamin’ Hot Cheetos and Pickles
• Vienna Bread with Strawberry Cream Cheese
• “Starter” Margaritas with Twizzler straws (please don’t ask for the recipe)

Don’t worry. Luckily, our tastes have improved as we’ve aged.

College came, with multiple visits to each other’s campuses, long phone calls and instant message conversations when we should have been studying, and a tradition of sending each other a very specific playing card at random. And soon enough, we had graduated (both from college and from Flamin’ Hots), moved back to our hometown, and settled in to Chapter 2 of our friendship and love affair with food.

Chapter 2: Bloody Marys & Boat Snacks

Our newfound “adulthood” was comically nothing of the sort. While I don’t mean to sell us short, as we worked our tails off, we also found the time for irresponsible and long cabin weekends, excruciatingly late nights, and the weekly boat ride with Kaylee’s Dad (Daddy J!) to go wakeboarding. Kaylee always seemed to bring the tastiest treats on those boat rides, whether it were chips and guac, fresh smoothies, or a 6 pack of Blue Moon. Regardless, we were always happy to soak in every last minute of sunshine together, normally ending with one of us taking a rough fall on the board, and forcing our water sport escapades to cease for the evening.

Stars & Stripes & Pasta Salad

This chapter of our lives centered around one holiday and one holiday alone: THE 4TH OF JULY. Well, realistically, the 3rd through the 5th of July. We spent countless 4th’s at Kaylee’s uncle’s home on a beautiful lake in Minnesota. They hosted a “framily” BBQ every 4th of July, though I think Sara and our boyfriends (now husbands) were the only 4 that added the extra letter to the otherwise relations-only gathering.

We would arrive early for a morning boat ride with Daddy J, which wasn’t complete without a mega Bloody Mary.

Think strong.

…loaded.

…”just a dash of mix, please”.

Complete with colossal shrimp, stuffed olives, pickles (two for the drink, one to snack on immediately), beef sticks, and celery, it was our own fault if we were hungry (or not feeling reallyyy good) by the time Daddy J returned us to shore. As I’m sure one can imagine, drinks only continued throughout this marathon day, resulting in hungry bellies. Lucky for us, the spread that everyone put on included all of the summer favorites, which for us meant pasta salad. The sheer volume of pasta salad that has been consumed over the years is nothing short of incredible. I’m not going to lie…I’m impressed!

And you know we needed it.

Greek Pizza: The Most Important Meal of the Day

Our idea of a good time when not on the lake, of course, was centered around food. While spending the night at Kaylee and her boyfriend’s (now husband’s) meant staying up until the small hours of the morning, it always started with a good meal. Perfectly cooked shrimp, grilled chicken, homemade Greek pizza…whatever we made, I always remember it being delicious. Although I’m certain it wasn’t always that way. “Our friendship has always been surrounded with food. We would try a new recipe in the kitchen and mess it up all the time! But you have to be open to making mistakes in the kitchen. That’s how you learn.”

A truth I would toast to, if only I had a colossal Bloody Mary.

Chapter 3: Homemade Spring Rolls

As promised, our tastes continued to evolve as we became more responsible. At our jobs, with our health, and with our wellness:

• Dinners started being served at an earlier hour (read: not 10 p.m.).
• Late night snacks were planned for and didn’t include a bag of chips.
• (Some) late nights were traded in for early morning barre classes.
• Parties were actually planned, rather than thrown together at the last minute.

I like to think that this was the phase when we started to irrevocably grow up. When we made plans, they no longer included dinner and drinks out, although admittedly, they never really did. We normally opted to stay in, planning out out a meal and cocktail menu that would kick off an evening of…well, more drinking. But now, the rigor and precision that was placed on menu planning rivaled that of the most detail oriented event planner.

“I have cilantro, carrots, rice noodles, cucumber, tofu, broccoli, miso, ginger, and vodka. Can you grab….”

Innumerable exchanges like this occurred, usually resulting in us only needing a handful of ingredients to make the meal we set out to.

Some of my favorite meals enjoyed with Kaylee during these years include:

• Juicy turkey burgers packed with salty green olives and creamy goat cheese, perfectly home baked fries with lots of ketchup, and the spiciest Ginger-Apple cocktails.
• Homemade spring rolls packed with bright herbs, crunchy veg, rice noodles, and a salty, sweet, creamy, and bright dipping sauce that Kaylee surely sprinkled magic fairy dust in to.
• Bowls of slow cooked shredded pork tossed with BBQ sauce with double the amount of coleslaw.
• Campfire pizzas at the cabin made with white bread, shredded mozzarella, rich pizza sauce, and mushrooms (the last two ingredients coming from a can, of course).

We tried, tested, failed, and failed again. We figured out the precise way we liked our pasta cooked, our sauces seasoned, and after countless laughable attempts of making the perfect spring roll…they finally stopped exploding.

“You have to be open to making mistakes in the kitchen. That’s how you learn.”

Chapter 4: Miso & Mojitos

The past few years have yielded plenty of change for both Kaylee, myself, and our families. Marriages. Loss. House purchases. Traveling. Children. When I reflect on the the moments that have quite literally changed the trajectory of our lives, I am again reminded of how vivid memories can be with food involved:

• The chili that received critical feedback from a certain bachelorette who was feeling extra honest (but I maintain to this day that I added plenty of hot sauce….though the bride disagreed).
• The mojito recipe that was perfected in Mexico after plenty of  research, along with the daily lunch of chips, crisp jicama, and the best damn guacamole.
• The Roasted Vegetable Stuffed Shells that were waiting in the freezer when Kaylee came home with her first born.
• The Thai takeout that was brought to the doorstep of our very first home (along with a celebratory bottle of bubbles, of course).

While these recent years have included so many amazing moments, there have also been plenty of simple ones, though equally amazing:

• Nights in (surprised?) with soul-warming bowls of homemade ramen made with a spicy miso and ginger broth, blanched vegetables, clean cilantro, and piles of spicy garlic chili paste.
• A “working date day” which included a simple salad made by Kaylee with crunchy shredded romaine, crispy roasted broccoli, shaved goat cheese, and giardineria.
• Warm and lazy Saturday evenings on the deck with a massive Greek platter filled with creamy hummus, crisp cucumber, sweet cherry tomatoes, juicy kalamatas, cool tzatziki, and crispy pita wedges, along with a chilled bottle of white.
• Cozy nights on the couch with fresh popped popcorn, Kaylee’s two girls snuggled in between us.

Life’s moments, big and small, are made more vivid – more memorable – with the power of food. Kaylee has very clearly taught me this, and in a very tasty way.

(In The Kitchen) Together Again

When I asked Kaylee to be the feature of my February story, she responded, “Well what do you want me to make?” I smirked, knowing the endless list of things I wanted to blurt out in desperation.

THIS WAS MY MOMENT.

I could ask for Kaylee to make anything I wanted without feeling guilty (she’s so busy!), or shameful (is that too much work?). But, not to my surprise, I didn’t need to ask, offer suggestions, or guide her in any way. She knew exactly what I wanted. The sign of a true caregiver.

Asian Inspiration

As I’m sure it’s evident by now, anything Kaylee makes is my favorite, but I take a particular affinity to anything she makes that has Asian roots. Her ability to make any Asian inspired dressing, sauce, or drizzle that has the precise intersection of sweet, spicy, salty, and umami is absolutely bewildering. Even watching her intently, trying to figure out how much of each ingredient she’s adding to a mason jar, is almost impossible. “You think that was a 1/2 teaspoon of Aminos?”, I ask earnestly. “Mmmm….probably 1 teaspoon?”, she answers as a question, clearly not paying attention to measurements, only by her skilled and seasoned eye.

Aside from what goes on top of any dish she’s creating, Kaylee also has an impressive ability to find the perfect balance within the dish she’s creating, too. The textures, temperatures, freshness, and balance of acidity are all stand-out’s in anything she creates.

“My mom instilled the importance of learning about food: where it comes from, what exactly we’re putting in our bodies, and that’s how I am with my girls now, too.”

A Look Back

When I ask Kaylee about some of her earliest cooking memories, she fondly reflects on her Great Grandma Lil, who her youngest daughter is named after. “I remember her house always smelling like dill. She would always be canning. Every time I would go there I would eat a huge bowl of pasta with her canned tomatoes and an entire jar of pickles to myself! Whether I’m stressed, sad, sick, or hungover, that is my go-to comfort food. I make regular pasta, even if I’m avoiding gluten, I don’t care. And before I started canning, I would use a regular can of whole tomatoes. Topped with a ton of black pepper, this is pure comfort to me.”

She also recalls her mom teaching her and her sister about food from a very young age. “We would always be in the kitchen trying new things. My mom instilled the importance of learning about food: where it comes from, what exactly we’re putting in our bodies, and that’s how I am with my girls now, too.”

On The Menu

• Asian Noodle Salad
• Sesame Marinated Cucumbers
• Tofu and Shiitake Lettuce Wraps with Perfect Peanut Sauce

I told you she was good.

 

 

“Kaylee” of All Trades

One of the things I admire about Kaylee, both in and outside of the kitchen, is that she can be completely immersed in what she’s doing, yet also with the conversation she’s having with you. And it’s effortless for her, as if she’s made the meal she’s preparing a thousand times before while also being completely engaged and interested in your story about your full iCloud, and also hearing her daughter stir while she sleeps, and also remembering to take the wine out of the freezer, and then suddenly out of nowhere she drops a little gift in front of you “just because”.

The answer is no. You cannot have her as a best friend. She’s taken.

We all have those people.

Those that inspire us to be the best version of ourselves every single day, in the kitchen or not. Thank you, Kaylee, for always being that person to me.

Read More!

Kitchen Memoirs is a series of stories about the people in my life who have inspired me most in the kitchen. Check out my Stories page to read more!

Tags: Asian Noodle Salad, Kitchen Memoirs, Kitchen Stories, Memoir, Recipes, Stories