A Fine, Fine Line.

voltee ♦ December 10, 2012 ♦ 1 Comment

Item: Maxi-dress Color/Fabric: Dirty peach, silky silk Designer: Gypsy 05 Where Purchased: Next Boutique Years Owned: 1

There was a time when I was quite the little Domestic Diva. I took pride in crafting and creating meals. I baked goods in excessive quantities, so that there would be a little something left for Nate to take to “the boys at work.” I wielded a pretty mean glue stick, and made hand crafted cards for special occasions. I took great pride in my various displays of festiveness. I loved to have parties and be hostess with the mostess.
This year, the extent of my Christmas decorating was sticking a 12-inch tree in a sparkly vase. And yesterday, I ate Chef Boyardee for the first time in about 15 years.
Ah, such is life.
I began to love cooking while I was still in high school. Determined to help my family eat healthy foods, I bought a healthy cookbook and told my mom that if she bought the ingredients, I would attempt the cooking. Lunches, dinners, and even desserts.
Everyone won!
One thing I learned to cook was a dessert called compote. Compote is like a fruit cobbler without the cobbler- fruit baked in sugar and spices. It’s a healthier option because there is no butter-laden crust or topping.
Time marched steadily on, and many a year passed with nary a thought of compote.
Until this summer. In celebration of 12 years of wedded mostly bliss, Nate and I decided to go out for brunch instead of the customary dinner. After scoping out a few options, we decided on the oldest inn in America- the Beekman Arms. I eagerly checked out their menu online, and was thrilled to find they offered fruit compote as a side dish!
Compote!! What a thrilling discovery!
I awoke on the anniversary, with visions of cinnamon and berries dancing in my head. I decided to wear this lovely wisp of a dress, since I had long obsessed over, but had yet to wear it.
Once this was on my person, though, I was a little less sure. There is no doubt that it feels utterly wonderful- the lining is smooth, luxurious silk, and the outer layer a light little puff of silk chiffon. It’s heavenly!
But I could not help but wonder if perhaps it looked like something best left in the bedroom. I felt a little better after adding some jewelry, lace-up sandals, a smile, but still I felt a little exposed.
At the restaurant, I was sure to choose an entree that came with the fruit compote. I was so excited for the warm, tasty treat of my teenage dreams.
What I got was bowl of cold cantaloupe, honeydew, and pineapple.
Fury!
I am never a fan of complaining at restaurants. Having spent so many years in various roles of food service, I remember clearly the horrible feeling of having an unhappy customer. In fact, even after almost 10 years, I still dream about it. So generally, I will just swallow my criticism with each disappointing bite.
But this time, I couldn’t. I had been anticipating the compote for hours. Hours!!
“What I have here is not fruit compote,” I explained politely to the server. “This is a bowl of cold fruit chunks.”
“I’ve worked here for four years,’ she replied. “This is what we have always served. We call this fruit compote.”
I told her what a compote was.
“Hmm,” she replied. “That sounds really good.”
“Yes!”
She went back to the kitchen, and returned a few minutes later.
“I asked the chef if he knew this was not fruit compote,” she told us. “and he said yes! So I asked why we called it fruit compote, and he said he didn’t know but would change it.”
We all laughed, but I knew why they called it that.
Fruit compote sounds much nicer than a bowl of cold fruit chunks.
After the disappointing twelfth anniversary brunch, Nate volunteered to take me yard sale-ing! And we had a nice afternoon, except for not finding many sales. And also there was the nagging question in my mind; would I have been able to negotiate better prices if I hadn’t been wearing this silky negligee/gown-type garment?
But I still like this dress. Maybe it just needs a different context, like sand. I want to wear this on a beach in Hawaii! What do you think? Does this dress cross the lingerie line?