Cook of the week: Improv has always been part of her routine
Don't ask Carol Ziwiski why her favorite social gathering is called the Friday Night Flamingos, just roll with it.
Carol doesn't know how the group earned its name, and clearly it has no bearing on the fun quotient.
The crux of the matter is to hang out with 10 or 20 neighbors at someone's home in the retirement community of Sun City, Huntley, for drinks, nibbles and an hours-long, same-gender gab fest.
“Women are in one room, men in another,” says Carol. Everyone hugs on arrival at 5:30 and at departure at 8-ish.
“It's almost like having family.”
On Thursday, the person hosting the event plants the group's three, pink flamingo mascots in their yard to signal that they are party central. Everyone shows up with a beverage – usually alcoholic – and an appetizer, so there's roughly enough food and drink to feed the entire community.
“We don't eat dinner on Friday; we just have an early lunch,” says Carol.
The group of 70- and 80-somethings has known each other for 10 to 11 years, though they only organized as the Friday Night Flamingos a few years ago. Some are couples, others widows and widowers, and they live within walking distance of each other, so no need for designated drivers.
But they're close in other ways, too.
“Sometimes people think they're the only one with a certain problem or joy, but when we get together we find out we are all one,” says Carol. “We share the same likes and dislikes.”
A from-scratch cook who likes to personalize recipes, Carol says, “I had high school chemistry and I liked the results of putting different chemicals together; I had foods in high school, too, and enjoyed putting ingredients together and seeing what happened.
“I just like the end result, I like to create, and I really, truly love to feed people.”
Once when it was her turn to host the pink bird group Carol surprised everyone with a late-afternoon brunch of egg-and-cheese strata, pancakes and fried potatoes. Of course, the rest of the flamingos brought appetizers.
When she's a guest at someone else's house she might bring one of her quick breads with a flavored cream cheese spread, like today's Cranberry-Orange Bread with Almond-Flavored Cream Cheese spread. A few weeks ago she prepared a chutney to serve over baked brie.
“I never use food enhancers, and I try to cook fresh,” she says.
Aside from the Flamingos, Carol occasionally hosts a local bunco group, entertains her family, hosts holidays and cooks dinner several nights a week for her and husband, Bob.
When she wants to keep those weeknight dinners simple she might make a three-ingredient brisket, slow-cooked with fresh onions and dried onion soup mix.
Perhaps her most in-demand recipe is a pretty marbled pound cake with an unusual malted milk flavor. You can watch her prepare it online starting today.
I don't know about you, but I'm thinking of driving out to Sun City on Friday looking for those yard birds so I can crash the party