I have a dear friend called Clau…well, I’ll call her “ChiChi Meringue.”  She’s 45 percent of the reason I come back to Buffalo to visit, and is 80 percent of the reason I want to move back permanently.  We go way back.  ChiChi rescued me from living with a girl whose cat pissed on my bed, and then tried to cover it up by pouring ammonia over the mattress.

The years I lived with her were the best of my life.  We cracked each other up, smoked marlboro lights, drank enough amaretto sours to be constantly phlegmy, cooked food together, and had opposite tastes in men.  In other words, bliss.

There were, of course, a few bumps along our road.

• Like the time we had a heated argument at four in the morning where I accused her of pulling a knife on me.  Really, she was only making a tasty sandwich.
• Then, there was the time I walked home from The Old Pink, drunk out of my mind.  Along the way I picked up a stray cat.  I believed the cat and I needed a fresh new beginning that could only be accomplished as team.  ChiChi said “NO” to the cat, and I left him on the porch, miles from the life he had known.
• And of course, arguing about something, (can’t remember what) where I punished her, (but mostly myself) by inexplicably sleeping in our clawfoot tub.

Wow. Seeing it in writing, I’m an absolute nightmare.

In honour of my beautiful, wonderful friend;  here is her famous rice recipe.  She’d make this when I’d be super sad after getting dumped by yet another man with frosted blond hair.  So, at least twice a month for two years.

ChiChi’s Rice

Prep:  Rinse the rice and follow the recipe below.