Albondigas soup and dental hygiene.

It’s hard to have a meaty conversation when you’ve got your mouth wide open, but Veronica (my dental hygienist) and I manage to communicate despite the obstacles.

She told me about a wonderful “Albondigas Soup” recipe she’d found in a Latina magazine, and I shared how I love making soups, too.

We both admitted we’re timid cooks and we’d rather make a relatively safe stew than fry something stove-top in hot boiling oil.

(We’ve both been traumatized by searing incidents).

Veronica said this recipe’s great — she surprised herself — and it has potatoes and spinach, which add a different dimension to the one her mother used to make.

I found my mouth watering at her description — even though it was full of hard metal instruments.

Today I got the meatballs recipe in the mail, along with a nice note.

Chef Lala’s creation.

I’m going to make a copy of it — because she sent me her original — and thank her, too.

I’ve written her notes after my cleanings before, but this takes our friendship to a whole new level…

talk about going above & beyond!