Celebrating Tom's Life
Photo by Melissa Schneider.
I haven’t had the motivation to post something new, and it’s been hard to figure out what I should post next. It’s hard to go from the last one to something breezy about house wines or meal planning or whatever. But Saturday was a transition of sorts.
Tom’s service was Saturday, and 200-300 people showed up to remember him. Some got up to talk about what he had meant to us: Not just friends and relatives but co-workers he had touched in small but meaningful ways. Melissa and I learned things about our friend we had never known: He was an Eagle Scout, he was Apple’s best bug screener, he used to walk in his sleep. People told funny stories, people told sad stories, people told bittersweet stories.
Photo by Melissa Schneider.
A couple of days before the service, his old kitchen crew sent a flurry of emails to each other and decided to cook for the 40 or so people who attended a small post-service gathering at Tom’s girlfriend’s house. It seemed like the right thing to do. We made some of the “best of” dishes from summer and winter parties. William, Tom’s main sous chef — his second-in-command — printed out menus and prep lists, just as Tom had always done. We assembled in an unfamiliar kitchen (though a well-equipped one: Anne matched Tom’s food passion), donned our chef whites, and once again moved as a team, hollering out warnings, questions, and answers. One person would finish a task and dive to someone else’s aid. Oil sizzled, knives chopped, and we cooks dodged and swerved around each other. For a moment, at times, one could pretend that this was just a normal party. Then the reality would come crushing back: There was one fewer person in the kitchen. People came up and thanked us for our efforts, but really, what else could we do?
Traditionally, just before guests arrived at the party, the kitchen crew would have a Champagne toast with each other, a way of taking a deep breath and enjoying the moment of quiet after the prep and before service. William broke the tradition that day; we shared the Champagne toast with the entire group and toasted Tom. People talked, remembered, and ate. I think it’s what Tom would have wanted us to do. And William voiced what the whole kitchen crew was thinking: “We should do this again.”
Photo by Melissa Schneider.
See more photos on meriko’s Flickr stream.
Menu for “a poubelle tribute”
tomato and bocconcini salad
broiled shrimp with blood-orange beurre blanc
buffalo monkfish and maytag blue cheese celery root salad
warm lentil salad
chocolate rosemary fraternals - puff style
- Here!
.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } Go get your own! At Johnny Cupcakes - and don't forget to have a look at the...
- Merry Easter Egg!
.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } ...
- Merry Christmas Everyone!
.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } I hope you and your family are enjoying the Holidays! ...
- It's All In The Packaging...
.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } I haven't managed to buy one single Christmas present this year. Yet. I'm...
- Short, On Lost Posts And The Guinea Pig
.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } Whew! That's done then! (The exam, in case you forgot) So was a post I'd...