Confession: We’re gift card hoarders.
In fact, the gift cards we’re most excited to use are often the ones we hold onto longest. It’s actually quite embarrassing, especially when the gift giver follows up on the gift given and we’re unable to be specific about just what, exactly, that turned out to be.
So when we finally do spend our precious card it’s doubly satisfying. We usually love the gift and then there’s the added satisfaction of subsiding the embarrassment and being able to finally say “thank you.”
Case in point: last year we received a gift card to the most beautiful and decadent of grocery stores, Dean & Deluca. The flagship store in SoHo–built in a 10,000 square foot converted factory with carrera marble floors–is stunning. We routinely wandered its aisles, marveling at the displays of fruit, flowers, specialty cheeses and thought about all the things we would love to bring home. Only we never actually brought anything home. Silly, I know. But last Sunday, while out playing hero, Aron went there on his own and ended the silliness. He came home with a big Dean & Deluca bag, and stapled it shut so I couldn’t peek. And he left it in the refrigerator to taunt me.
We find lots of excuses to celebrate. This Monday was the anniversary of Aron’s return from a year abroad in Australia, nine years ago. We’ve been together since the day he returned. And we’ve been celebrating that anniversary for nine years. This year, we had decided to make dinner at home. I made a side dish of sautéed swiss chard and onions. Aron made one of roasted squash, carrots, turnips, and ramps.
We toasted with some champagne, opened a bottle of wine (which we swooned over but of which I will spare you an attempted description), and then Aron brought out the best filet mignon I’ve ever tasted, salted extravagantly with black truffle salt. It’s a good thing he put some extra on the side in a small salt dish–we were like deer at a salt lick. It was amazing. And it was the perfect way to spend that card because we would have never otherwise allowed ourselves to indulge in a big jar of truffle salt. And then we would have never known the magic of Dean & Deluca’s black truffle salt.
So without further delay, thank you.
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