In a New Context

I've long been a believer in the value of bringing old and new things together. Juxtaposing an element from the past with one from the present has the effect of highlighting the qualities of both, and in my opinion, makes for a deeper experience. I love cities that exhibit the influences of multiple generations of architectural style. Seeing hundred-year-old masonry beside modern marvels of steel and sheet glass is a reminder of the many types and expressions of beauty.

Enjoying a familiar relationship in a novel context is one of my favorite variations of this theme. In college I always loved taking the train up to Boston to spend my fall break with Sachi H. We've known each other for most of our lives, but I felt as though visiting her at school and having adventures in the city together added another nuance to our friendship. From these visits, I concluded that having an old friend by your side as you explore a new place really enriches the experience. I think this is partly because you have common ground from which to evaluate the things you see and do, but it's probably mostly because when you enjoy someone's company, any time spent with them will feel like time well-spent.

Plus, sometimes you go out and get tattoos because you're 19 and you can.

I've been doing a good deal of this melding of old and new since moving to Boulder last month. Relocating is easy when you already have friends in the area, and I'm lucky enough to have a handful--both from Hawaii and from the University of Virginia. As it happens, all of my U.Va. friends who have ended up in Colorado were members of the Virginia Alpine Ski and Snowboard Team (VASST) with me. (I think this is not exactly a coincidence, and anyone who enjoys downhill snow sports but also lives in Virginia will probably agree.) One of these friends is Rachel, a skier who was once the president of our illustrious organization.
 

Rachel mixing up some deliciousness.

Over the weekend, I went over to Rachel's apartment on the other side of Boulder, and we spent the evening cooking dinner together and talking about our Colorado lives and the latest news from our college friends (P.S., heard about that fire at ski house, guys... glad everybody's okay). The menu for the evening was orange-carrot soup made by Rachel, and stuffed zucchini boats made by me. The rest of this post is an Eats for Sachi-style instructional from a recipe originally published here.


You'll need:
2 zucchini
1/2 lb ground turkey
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/4 yellow onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 handful raisins
1 handful shredded cheddar cheese
cinnamon
salt
pepper
olive oil

Serves 2 or 3, depending on what else you're eating.

Slice the zucchini in half lengthwise.

Scoop out the insides, leaving about a quarter inch all around. The original recipe says you should discard the zucchini innards, but I thought that was wasteful, and definitely not suggested for someone living on my budget, so I saved them to put in pasta sauce later.

Put the halves scooped-side-down in a baking pan with a little bit of water. Cover with plastic wrap, leaving a space for steam to escape, and microwave for four minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Saute the onion, bell pepper, and garlic in olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.

Crumble in the ground turkey, then add raisins, a sprinkling of cinnamon, and a bit of salt and pepper.

Once the turkey is cooked (no longer pink) after about five minutes, turn of the heat and stir in the cheese.

Fill your zucchini halves and place them in the baking pan, uncovered.

Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.

Enjoy with a friend and some delicious soup!