I forgot to tell you! Or, Events Coincide.

On Friday, April 10, 2009, I had a giant bowl of tagliatelle carbonara. It was amazing. It came with an organic egg yolk perched on top, with "hand cut noodles, English peas, smoky bacon, black pepper and Parmesan." It was a fantastic meal, and it was also a bit of a triumph.

The last time I truly enjoyed a carbonara-based dish was late December, 2003, a few days before I left on vacation for Thailand, and the day after I ate at Joyfull. I left that Italian restaurant and arrived home, happy. It was Sunday. I went to bed, and dreamed of school lunch. Around 3am, I woke up and my mouth was watering--not because I was hungry, but because that was the signal that I was about to spew. So I spewed. It was hell.

About 10 miles away, two really good friends were experiencing the same gawdawful thing. We're pretty sure meat from Joyfull was the culprit. Worst case of food poisoning I've ever had.

So here I am, almost 5 and a half years later, and I can finally eat carbonara again. I feel like this should be a clever metaphor for something, but surprisingly, it's not. (No really, I am surprised.) Instead, I'm excited that I've reclaimed one of my favorite foods, and I'm looking forward to making pasta carbonara at home. I love a happy ending.