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Doris, at the next table, said, “But don’t order the minestrone. Never order the minestrone.”

She said the four of them were Italian Americans and her husband had a rule. If he had had a little too much wine the night before, he liked a hot bowl of minestrone the next day to set him straight. She said he had just ordered it.

“Look at what they served him.”

She tilted a soup bowl for me to see. The contents of his bowl looked like cooked oatmeal.

Doris said, “Looks like oatmeal, doesn’t it?” I said, “Yes.”

She said, “We’ll be back next year, but we just won’t order their minestrone.”

As soon as she said good-bye, a very trim and handsome young black man came to my table. “Dr. Angelou, we are so honored to have you here in this dining room. Let me introduce myself. I am the manager. Can we do anything for you?”

I said, “No, thank you.”

He said, “I want to bring Mr. Williams, he is my manager and manager of the other restaurants here. He’ll be so glad to welcome you.”

I had finished breakfast, but courtesy kept me in my seat.

The young man returned with an older, elegant black man. He was introduced.

The man said, “We are honored and would love to have you visit some of the larger restaurants, but would you please come to this kitchen and let the workers see you. They will be thrilled.”

I followed him into the kitchen, met and shook hands with everyone. My host said, “Now, this is the steam table. Here we keep food hot that has already been cooked.”

I looked into the pots. One was filled with something like oatmeal. The contents were so thick, the ladle stood straight in its middle.

I asked, “And what is this?”

He said, “Oh, that’s Minnesota wild rice. It’s very popular at lunchtime, but they even had a call for it this morning at breakfast.”

Indeed. That was what the woman at the next table had showed me. My impulse was to tell him that my friends from Springfield, Massachusetts, had not meant to order Minnesota wild rice and that maybe what he needed was a good recipe for minestrone for those who might want it on a given morning. I could have suggested that his Tennessee waiters’ ears had misunderstood accents from New England and that New England ears did not completely understand Tennessee drawl, but Mr. Williams’s smile was so nice and his attitude so welcoming, I didn’t have the heart.

Minestrone Soup

MAKES 2 QUARTS

1 cup dried lima beans

2 quarts water

¼ cup olive oil

3 stalks celery, diced

1 medium onion, minced

One 19-ounce can crushed tomatoes

2 cups shredded cabbage 2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley

½ teaspoon dried basil

½ teaspoon dried oregano

½ cup (dry measure) elbow macaroni, cooked al dente

Grated Parmesan cheese

Pick over beans, discarding stones and debris. Wash and drain, then put in large pot with water to cover, bring to boil, and boil for 2 minutes. Let cool for 2 hours.

Heat oil in large skillet, and lightly sautê celery, onion, tomatoes, cabbage, and garlic. Add to beans along with salt, pepper, and herbs. Cook covered, over medium heat, for 2 to 3 hours.

Before serving, pour cooked macaroni into soup. Bring to a boil, and boil for 4 minutes. Serve garnished with Parmesan.

Minnesota Wild Rice

SERVES 4 TO 6

1 cup uncooked wild rice

2 cups chicken stock

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon minced onion

4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Wash rice, drain, and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low immediately. After 20 minutes, add 1 cup of water, and cook for another 20 minutes. Then rinse and drain again. Pour in chicken stock. Add salt, onion, butter, and pepper. Simmer covered until tender and all liquid has evaporated, about 45 minutes.

LEE GOLDSMITH OWNED a chic cookery store on New York’s Upper West Side. She was a striking woman with a sharp wit who knew a lot about cooking. I often found myself in