By Vanessa's wedding planning has reached the phase I call "beautiful hysteria" — the bride is simultaneously ecstatic and unhinged, the timeline is both ahead of schedule and behind, and every conversation involves seating charts, color palettes, and whether Brian's aunt Geraldine can be trusted to behave after two glasses of champagne. (The answer is no. Nobody trusts Aunt Geraldine after two glasses of anything.) The wedding is September. I am maid of honor. My dress is navy, because Vanessa's colors are navy and gold, because Vanessa has always been the kind of woman who turns even a wedding into a Spelman tribute.
I told Vanessa about the kiss. In person, at her kitchen table, over wine, because some news deserves eye contact. She screamed (she screams; this is established). Then she grabbed my hands and said, "Tamika Denise Washington. You are living." I said, "I'm trying." She said, "No. You're living. There's a difference." She's right. There is a difference between trying and living. Trying is survival. Living is the kiss in the parking lot. I am living.
Derek and I have settled into a rhythm: dates twice a week, texts daily, phone calls most nights after the kids are asleep. The phone calls are long — an hour, sometimes two — and we talk about everything and nothing. He tells me about work. I tell him about Set the Table. He tells me about Isaiah's latest outburst. I tell him about Marcus's latest debate victory. We are two rivers running parallel, close enough to hear each other, waiting for the point where we merge.
Made chicken adobo this week — Filipino recipe I found online. Soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, bay leaves, served over rice. The tanginess of the vinegar cuts through the richness of the chicken in a way that surprised me — bright, sharp, addictive. Marcus said, "What country are we eating from this week?" I said, "The Philippines." He said, "Let's go there." Jasmine said, "Can we go everywhere?" I said, "Baby, we already are." We are eating our way around the world from a townhouse in College Park, Georgia, and the table is wider than it's ever been and there's room for more. There's always room for more.
The chicken adobo opened something in us — the vinegar-sharp brightness of it, the way Marcus immediately started lobbying for a plane ticket and Jasmine declared we should go everywhere. She wasn’t wrong, and I wasn’t about to argue. So the following week I kept the adventure going and landed in the Basque Country: this linguini with clam sauce, garlicky and briny and alive in a way that made the kitchen smell like a port city at dusk. It’s the kind of dish that reminds you the world is enormous and generous, and that the best way to see it might just be from your own stovetop.
Linguini with Clam Sauce — Basque-Style
Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 35 min | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 12 oz linguini
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup dry white wine (such as Albariño or Pinot Grigio)
- 2 cans (6.5 oz each) chopped clams, juice reserved
- 1/2 cup clam juice (from cans plus bottled if needed)
- 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- Crusty bread, for serving
Instructions
- Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook linguini according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water before draining. Set pasta aside.
- Build the base. In a large skillet over medium heat, warm the olive oil and butter together. Add the sliced garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring frequently, for 2–3 minutes until the garlic is golden and fragrant. Do not let it burn.
- Deglaze with wine. Pour in the white wine and let it reduce by half, about 3 minutes, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Add the clams. Stir in the canned clams and reserved clam juice. Simmer over medium-low heat for 4–5 minutes until the sauce is slightly reduced and the flavors meld together.
- Finish the sauce. Add the lemon zest and lemon juice. Taste and season with salt and black pepper. If the sauce seems too thick, loosen it with a splash of the reserved pasta water.
- Toss and serve. Add the drained linguini directly to the skillet and toss well to coat every strand. Remove from heat, fold in the fresh parsley, and serve immediately with crusty bread alongside.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 480 | Protein: 28g | Fat: 12g | Carbs: 62g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 680mg