I'm Sorry Nona.

Sweet potato gnocchi, in theory, can sound like a very impressive feat in the kitchen, despite the recipe itself being very basic: flour plus root, boil, serve. For somebody else this might have been a knock out of the park on their first try, but a glass of wine into this recipe, I knew I was different. 

Originally, I imagined I would pair a roasted goat cheese, almond sweet potato gnocchi with a lemon chicken salad. My roommate planned for a scenic evening, and they were gracious when this was subverted for a you-tried meal. 

And try, I did! I am a little green in the kitchen, which is a hard hit for my pride to admit, but I am not so headstrong as to not try new things, or even fail at these new things many times. Stubbornness, then, can be a virtue. 

I was eager, for one, to start. My recipe was a video I found on Pinterest, a self-professed 'easy meals for a college student!!' that at least fooled me. Had I been a little more prepared though, and had the gift of foresight, I think this recipe could have come out another way. 

The potatoes had not baked as they should have. To my defense, I had made potatoes in the past, but I doubted my prior knowledge and pulled them out too early. Unevenly cooked, the potatoes were uncompromising in the gnocchi mix as I slowly kneaded in the flour.

Nevertheless, I persisted. 

The pot eventually came to a boil. As with any task you wade into, by the time you are waist deep, you become contemplative and wary of the person you were before entering foreign waters. Did I know what gnocchi tastes like? I've only had it a handful of times, how large are they supposed to be? Why did I choose the vegan version when I myself am not vegan? What is the Platonic Gnocchi?

My roommate emerged from their room and stood at my back, and we both watched the tiny balls bob occasionally. 

Between then and plating, it became a little blurry. We cooked the chicken (with greater haste than I made the gnocchi, as we both fear salmonella), poured some wine, and tossed the salad. 

The gnocchi themselves were slightly damp and mostly cooked. I tossed them in some extra virgin olive oil, salad, pepper, chili, garlic, and thyme—a move that saved them from otherwise being ostracized from other pastas and starches. 

"It took her three hours to make this meal," my roommate said. "I really felt the love and dedication."

Cooking is a skill that, like a muscle, requires exercise. Atrophied as it may be for me, I am still determined to become a capable cook. 

As a bonus (and to save any reputation I may have), this is a recipe for oatmeal cookies which I have made successfully, because it is  foolproof and a real ‘easy meal for a college student’. Try it!