My Friend, She's Fried

My best friend Dori was a foodie before being a foodie was cool. She is the sort of person who phones just to tell you she made the most fabulous Potatoes Au Gratin with Gruyere that you just have to try. When we eat out, she knows where to go and exactly what to order (not to mention how it should be cooked).

Dori always makes cooking seem effortless and fun. Somehow, she manages to whip up potato latkes for 50 with two kids underfoot while still looking as glamorous as a movie star (some see a resemblance to Meg Ryan). Not surprisingly, she has always been baffled – if not a bit irked – by my culinary ineptitude.

After years of feigning interest as she recounted her latest success in the kitchen, I finally have begun to pay attention. Now that I've begun to cook myself, I appreciate her passion for food and cooking even more. I'm lucky to have her on hand to (well, by phone or e-mail) to answer my questions about grilling, sauteing, steaming, and everything in between.

I'm proud to say that after years of dreaming about it, Dori has finally taken the leap and begun cooking school at the Institute for Culinary Education in Manhattan. She had taken recreational cooking classes there before, but this one is for pros. Of course, I thought Dori already knew everything there was to know, but I'm sure they can teach her a thing or two.

Dori is chronicling her journey on her blog, She's Fried, which, like Dori, is smart, witty, and always lively.

In her most recent post, Dori tells of how she took on a lobster -- and lost. Well, to be fair, she won (the lobster is dead), but she lost some blood in the process (don't worry, she's okay).

Check it out and see She's Fried for yourself.

Photo: Dori Fern