A memory

 My recent visit to the dentist meant I had to eat a “soft diet” for two days.  It brought back a memory from 1989.

I had my wisdom teeth pulled.  Afterwards, Drew drove me home, got me settled into the green recliner — the one that had been my mother’s but she no longer wanted —and made his favorite comfort food for me. 

He made pastina.

Pastina is a very small pasta, often used in soups.  But Drew prepared the pasta as if it were a cereal.  He cooked it in milk, one cup of Pastina and two cups of milk, cooked until the pasta absorbed all the milk.  Then he added more milk and some butter to the cooked dish.   Soft, bland and comforting.

It became one of my go-to comfort foods,  

Gluten free pastas don’t act the same way when cooked, I’d have to cook the pasta in water then add milk and butter,  I think.  I’ll have to give it a try,