A boss I had back in 1999, Darcie Johnston, has become a lifelong friend and mentor. At the time, I trusted her enough that I allowed her to introduce me to Indian food. Over the years, many people (Julie Polzer most successfully) tried and failed to get me to expand my diet. Under Darcie’s tutelage, it expanded and I haven’t looked back.

At that point, I’d been a vegetarian for 11 years — and still hated vegetables, and never tried a food that didn’t start with ‘mac’ and end in ‘cheese.’ When stretched for time or money, I just ate white rice flavored with Kraft Parmesan–and called it delicious! I was a horrific eater — honestly, I can’t even imagine WHY I didn’t try flavors. Anyway. I didn’t.

So, Darcie starts by marching me across Union Station in D.C., right near where we worked, to White Tiger Indian food. I mulishly sat across from her, saying, ‘just order what you think I’ll like.” She did, ordering naan and palak paneer, and in between voracious bites I exclaimed: “I knew I liked cheese, but spinach? and what is farmer’s cheese? and can I have more?” She had me then.

She and her then-husband, John, had me and my then-partner, Mary, over for dinner frequently. Their daughter Lena was a tiny girl, and they would put her to bed and then feed us grilled polenta (so exotic), and teach us to shoot the moon in hearts (which Mary actually did once).

In addition to a shared workspace, Darcie and I share an obsession with the New Yorker, a similar sense of humor, and a love of reading. We’d argue over books (I loved the ending to Ann Patchett’s Patron Saint of Liars, she did not) and end up laughing over food. She gave me a recipe that is my kids’ favorite to this day: Mush, named by her oldest son. An amalgam of brown rice (?! I had to buy it just for this exploration), soy sauce, black beans, kale and cheddar, it sounds awful but tastes extremely lovely.

During my recent job search, I ended up in Madison, Wis. for an interview. Darcie moved there with Lena several years ago, and they just finished building a house. It had been years since we’d seen each other in person, but kayaking around a calm, placid lake and talking about relationships, friends, books, loves and life, it felt like no time had passed at all. We ate excellent pizza for lunch, talked more over Wisconsin beer and then I had dinner with she and Lena.

When my offers came in, Jason and I knew we would go to Seattle, but the appeal of a ready-made family with Darcie in Madison was very tempting.

I have so much to thank Darcie for: her teaching me how to edit and work with authors, encouraging me to read thoughtfully, and — most of all — her showing me a wide world of food beyond my very small one. Thanks, Darcie, for all the Indian food in the world.

(I have looked and looked and actually can’t find a picture of Darcie anywhere — is my photographic record finally failing me? I hope not …)