Clippings

She sent me the stewed tomato and pappardelle recipe in the form of a sloppily photocopied clipping from the Wall Street Journal, which she annotated in her rather loopy handwriting, using pencil, of course. It was one of the countless recipes she passed along over the years. “She” being my grade 6 English teacher, who became a mentor, a confidant, and, after I moved to a big city that made her constantly fret about me, a faithful pen pal.

With each recipe came a quick story or a recap of the latest meal: “The roast last evening was a triumph, and we have dandy leftovers.” But it was weeks after she sent the pappardelle recipe that I realized she’d gone to the post office somewhat prematurely — before trying it herself. She emailed with a follow‑up from the kitchen: the dish was indeed a success, despite the fact that she’d cut the pancetta too thick. Oh, and the titular noodles were impossible to find in my hometown, population 2,000. Fettuccine was the best...