Eating With Friends

I just got off the phone with my best friend, L. Each morning we touch base to discuss the headline news of the day, our husbands, our kids, our lives. We complain, laugh, and--always--we talk about what we are cooking for dinner.

L and J have been our closest friends for over 20 years. Our husbands are colleagues, and we first met over the table at a business dinner. When I later invited them to a dinner party at our home, that clinched the deal--and we've been eating together ever since.

When our children (1 son for me, 2 daughters for L) were young, our families ate together almost every weekend. Family vacations taken together included good food and a lot of laughter. L and I like to think that this time around the table had an influence on our children's lives.

Now our 20 somethings have apartments of their own. Each one is an adventuresome eater that enjoys good food and wine, and each one enjoys sharing his or her table with friends. I guess you could say that they paid attention.