Pass the Cheese, Please!

Every time I Skype home, lately, I’ve been telling my parents what I want to eat when I get back to the U.S. For sure, I want a glass of milk (it’s been two months since I’ve had a glass of milk!) and I want a bagel smothered with cream cheese. I also want some watermelon, mashed potatoes and cornbread, and a large piece of funnel cake.

And maybe a grilled cheese sandwich. (Or a panini from Panera Bread Co.)

And definitely some pasta with sun-dried tomato and basil pesto sauce and loads of parmesan cheese.

My mother thinks this is starting to sound more like a last meal than a first meal.

She might be right.

Coming here, I knew I wouldn’t be eating too many dairy products; I knew the milk was absolutely disgusting. But I didn’t think there would literally be no cheese anywhere. And I didn’t think I would miss the cheese and the rather bland, simple taste of American cuisine. (Because I know that after two weeks of being back, I’m going to miss all the wonderful food here. The grass is always greener and the food is always tastier, I guess.)

That doesn’t mean I’m going to turn down the opportunity to try a new restaurant, though, so tonight we made our way to Jalpaan, a relatively new restaurant in 7^th block. The restaurant looked nice enough, but when I opened the menu, much to my surprise, there was a small Italian section.

Okay, so they had three different pastas and a bruschetta knock-off. But still.

I immediately ordered the Pesto Pasta and waited rather impatiently for it to come and for the waiter to serve us.

I took a bite, and I was in heaven.

You know that scene in Ratatouille where the food critic eats the ratatouille that Ratatouille makes? Well, that’s exactly how I felt.

Oh, it was divine! The pasta was so soft, and the sauce was so creamy. I could taste the nutty parmesan and the fresh basil. The cherry tomatoes and broccoli florets and olive slices were only welcome additions to this perfect dish.

Actually, I’m sure the Macaroni Grill makes better pesto pasta. Heck, I could probably make this dish better.

But this bowl of pasta couldn’t have come at a better time. After two months of living here, it was wonderful to eat something that didn’t have that Indian masala flavor. And now that I’ve devoured a bowl of this pasta, I think I can last for another month without pasta and cheese.

(But Mom and Dad, I still want that glass of milk and bagel when my plane lands. And maybe the watermelon.)

-July 9th