My ladies

Let's see... Two of my favorite chefs are women. Monica Patino of Cafe MP is amazing. She is in her fifties and looks twenty. She moves fluidly and just in watching her you know she is grounded and safe. She is a big reason that I got into yoga and Buddism. I wanted to feel the way she looked. Ben and I were invited back to her house by her son. He was getting married the next day and having a small party that night. It was heaven, it felt like love. Her house was eclectic and beautiful and comfortable. She had made some sort of flank steak and every thing seemed exotic and pure.

Jennifer Jasinski is a local chef and owner of Rioja, my very favorite restaurant in Denver. She is also beautiful but I have never met her in person. In her photos she looks proud, she looks like she knows that she fought hard and earned her respect. Her pasta is sublime. I like that she has small sizes available at Rioja. I love the different breads and the hand made mozzerella. She also went through a divorce last year. It makes me feel as though I am not so much alone. There are other women, amazing women, who have had this same awful experience.

At Cafe MP I had the duck tacos and I will never in my life forget their taste. At Rioja I had the duck ravioli and still dream about it. Funny how these women, worlds apart, used that ingredient for the very very different dishes. I do love duck, but I am not always wowed by it. In fact after these two preparations I am usually disappointed in duck any other way.