don’t choke

What’s worse than having your house sale fall through? Knowing you have to get back into the fray.

Being in the real estate market right now is worse than online dating.

My” iron-clad” deal fell through. Just as I was recovering another offer came in. It made me feel like an adult dater causality. All I wanted to do was lick my wounds, blow my nose (lord knows what I had inhaled cleaning out that almost hundred year Shaker Heights house) and enjoy my transitory children before they started their east coast jobs.

But here it was- another offer. A lower offer. “But it’s an offer” my real estate agent exclaimed. If I hear it’s a buyer’s market one more time... What contingencies are to house offers baggage is to dating. The older you get the more there are. In my adult dating life I never settled. In this flailing housing market I realized I might have to.

I signed the blasted offer and turned my focus onto my daughter’s brief visit to our Dayton home. House guests there are a rarity and having one of our children under our roof a cause for celebration.

Before my daughter and I hit the road to travel south I went to the North Union Farmer’s Market in Cleveland. I picked up my usual staples- Ohio City Pasta and Killbuck shitakes. I thought I’d live large and bought a pound of baby sun chokes (also known as the root for Jerusalem artichokes). They looked strange but the folks in line for Killbuck Valley Mushrooms raved about them. A quick sauté in olive and shallots and a pinch of garlic is all it took (or so they declared).

Once in Dayton we picked up some gorgeous filets.

The sautéed sun chokes I thought a prefect accompaniment. Just to be safe I dug up another oldie but goodie side- red peppers stuffed with cherry tomatoes, onions and basil.

I started the grill and roasted the peppers and whipped up a quick horseradish sauce.

My daughter opened a delicious 2006 Larochette Manciat Les Petites Bruyeres Pouilly Fuisse. As we sipped and sautéed I realized something wasn’t going according to plan. The wretched little chokes not only looked like poop they kind of tasted like it too. They reminded me of my housing offers. Big on promise short on delivery. All the butter and salt in the world couldn’t save this side.

As we opened a 2001 Casaloste Chianti Classico Riserva we toasted family and futures. I pushed my sun chokes aside and advised my daughter to do the same. Some times in life you just shouldn’t settle.