I still remember the first time my friend Amy made this recipe. She and her partner Brian were having a gathering at their home, and I remember seeing a bowl of this on the table. I almost faceplanted forward. I’d tried quinoa before, was obsessed with chickpeas and quickly fell in love with the dish. Since then, I’ve always associated Amy with this combination.
Amy was important for a lot of reasons. For starters, she and Brian were older than most of us, so they had that life experience thing down. They could give advice, had been-there-done-that. Secondly, they were killer party planners. I always looked forward to a Friday night beer tasting there, or a dinner out to a new restaurant. I still fondly remember the time I watched she and Brian make falafels. It looked like magic. Thirdly, Amy was the person who bought me the Veganomicon, which houses this recipe and is a staple in my kitchen.
I did a lot of growing up in Washington, D.C., and Amy was there to see it. I’m sure she knows by know how much I think of her, and how much I appreciated the time we spent together. Especially surrounding food.
In addition to making me feel sentimental, this dish has also given me a great source of energy. Makes sense I’d associate it with such a good friend.
What’s a dish you always associate with another person?
Quinoa and Chickpeas sound like a great combination. I love that certain foods have a associations with people or places. Every time I make mac & cheese I think of my grandma who taught me how
Yum. Grandmas always know best, right?
That looks delicious. I know what you mean about having food associations with people. I have a lot of blogger-food associations.Chickpeas always make me think of you and Monica.