It was my birthday the other day, and while I love dining out, we usually choose to stay in. I find it’s the perfect time for a treat like champagne and king crab legs, which are ridiculously easy and quick to prepare and cost a fraction of the price of going out.
While I’m all for spending on a good meal out, sometimes it’s more meaningful to enjoy the cozy, relaxing ambiance of home—unless, of course, you have dinner crashers…
I often tell stories about my children's friends who “crash” our dinners. I find it a compliment, and I never turn them away. My husband Pierre and I are known for making them a quick pasta carbonara when we don’t have enough dinner prepared to share with everyone. Sometimes, I think they pop in on purpose with the hopes of having some carbonara.
Making an extra meal is, of course, some work, but the memories and experience are so rich it's worth it. I'm reminded of my birthday two years ago when eight of them stopped by shortly before we were going to sit down for dinner. I was on the back deck, sipping some birthday bubbles, when they arrived, brimming with energy and hopeful for dinner. I have never turned them away, although a few times I’ve been tired and considered telling them the “restaurant” is closed. This was one such time.
I casually mentioned that it was my birthday and we had planned a special dinner for three. I thought they might take the hint and shuffle off, but before they got the chance, I said, “I can make a quick carbonara if you like?” Their faces lit up, and that’s all I needed to motivate me to get my sous-chef, Pierre, in gear and put the pasta water on to boil.
If you’d like to try this quick and simple pasta carbonara, you can find the recipe here. It's so fast and simple to make, and you only need eggs, bacon, and pasta. It's a delicious and meaningful meal. The kids will always have memories of a homemade meal when they pop over, and I taught all of them how to make it, so maybe next time, they can cook for themselves!
I share this story with you because it really is not much more work to make a dish like pasta carbonara than it is to arrange and pick up a carryout for a last-minute dinner. And it makes memories. Readers often send me stories about what they prepared for a last-minute dinner with friends instead of a carryout pizza and salad. They find something to toss together with pasta and make a salad or other simple, light first course.
They also tell me stories about their teens who opt to come home and find something to cook with their friends rather than grabbing a bite out at a chain, telling me their kids say it's cheaper, more fun, and usually better! I hope you, too, will rustle something up when you need a last-minute meal and save the dinners out for a truly worthwhile meal.
With each passing year, the number of meals I’ve prepared grows, each one rich with memories, reminding me that it’s the simple, shared moments that truly make life special.
