New Roommate - Candace (No Citrus, Makes Good Soda Bread)

I have a new roommate once again, my old one moved away to be with her boyfriend which left an empty room and half of a rent check that needed to be filled as soon as possible. As soon as I was in the know the Craigslist ads went up and the updated duplex pictures I took for just such an emergency were highlight and touch-up'ed before being plastered all over the internet. The search was on and with great intensity. At the time I was happy for Danielle, but for myself I felt only apathy and exhaustion. Roommate hunting is anything but pleasant.

No drugs, no whores, no bores. I lived with all three before in my life and I wasn't looking for a repeat. In the past I have had good roommates, great roommates, ones who started great and turned evil, and ones who were just awful. From hiding pot to, spreading rumors, to finding a naked 50 year old man standing in my kitchen (I have tried to actually stab that mental image out of my head) there have been roommates that I am just more than happy to be through with. Others who I cooked with, shared secrets with, and talked out life problems long into the night over a few bottles of wine and cold pizza with. When living with people, it's always such a crapshoot.

The candidate search was not something I was looking forward too. The last one was a pain as a seemingly endless parade of people I would probably walk on the other side of the street from in order to avoid came through the door. Crazies with cats, scary tattooed men, and a family with a toddler (three people in a tiny 10X10 room? I think not) all came to examine the humble abode. Lucky for me I found someone on the first go this time around. Candace, a smart, bright, and perky girl with a sense of humor similar to mine. While just a college graduate, she looks about the age of 12, but her oratorical skills and humble demeanor belie her intelligence which one might find suspect if judging the book by its cover.

Furthermore she cooks a lot, loves cats, and actually she reads the blog so she kinda knew what she was getting into. Stars seemed to align for this rental drama.

We've been spending a bit of time getting to know each other the past week. She doesn't eat mushrooms or eggplant and is allergic to citrus of all kinds (I think I would spontaneously go into a stroke if a doctor ever told me that). Her specialty is Southern comfort food, something I have no familiarity with but am looking forward to learning. She advocates the use of sugars, fats, and heavy cream in order to make food taste good and that trying to lighten dishes that weren't originally light and diet friendly to begin with is a crime of the highest order. A good sign if I ever saw one.

As such, I've been teaching her Chinese and Lebanese food. Simple stir fries, kibbehs, and pilafs - simple things that can easily be replicated once learned. She in turn has shown me how to make soda biscuits and southern style mac-n-cheese with half and half, cheddar, ham, and all kinds of garlicy deliciousness.

I do believe it will be a good fit.