In 2008, I resolve to eat more leftovers. Or at least to have more leftovers. I am a habitual plate cleaner/food vacuum and, whether
I’m cooking at home or eating out, my tendency is to eat eat eat until
I am completely stuffed, usually leaving no morsel behind. This year I
am committing myself to leftovers, if only just to prolong the
enjoyment of every meal and provide another opportunity to remember
each food experience.
I’ve talked to a few people whose New Year’s resolutions involve
cooking more, becoming a better cook, or simply learning to cook. I
salute you all and direct you to Culinary Communion, a cooking
school operating out of a house in Beacon Hill, whose mission statement
moved me to slight tears: “Our memories of food, be they of the
kitchens of our youth or of the dinner parties of last week, remind us
that we are connected to something larger. Those who create our food
have always been the architects of that connection, that homecoming…
that communion.“
This week, Culinary Communion offers an ingenious class (rather than
a professional chef, it will be taught by a veteran home cook) for
kitchen novices who want to learn the basics of nourishing themselves
and others. Culinary Communion also offers an impressive range of
classes, including charcuterie (for the home-meat-curing enthusiast)
and recipe development. 
How to Boil Water is Tues Jan 15 at
Culinary Communion, 2524
Beacon Ave S, 284-8687, www.culinarycommunion.com,
6–9 pm, $79 (includes a full meal).
