Here is my update for a great many days:
Friday evening was very pleasant. Lots of cleaning, and some minor organizing, followed by lots of cooking. I made my red wine garlic duck, and bruteforcemethd came over to enjoy that, and some good conversation, and a bottle of decent red. I was pleased with the goose, though it was not quite the same without the mushroom stuffing. I guess that is just as well, because chellez didn’t really like the duck too much anyhow. However, the stuffing I did make, along with my creamy walnut rice, and the tricolor salad went over very well.
Saturday was a mostly lazy day. I am about 3/5ths of the way through Gladius, which is a pretty kickass game (it took a while to grow on me). Hooray for procrastination. I managed to get some work done, as well as a little writing as well. Hopefully Julie looked over some of my poetry while she was in Taipei, I dunno if she did or not, I keep forgetting to ask her.
Saturday I also decided that this was going to be a thin xmas. I usually go all out, but not this year. I hate xmas, but I enjoy making people happy, especially gift-giving, so I tend to try to outdo myself year-to-year. Money will just not be there – I have been considering doing writing gifts – poems and the like, but I don’t know if the time/energy will be there for that.
Saturday night brought a delightful repast at Trio with my old friend Dar, and Chellez. Dar is going to Brooklyn Law, and needed to borrow a laptop so she didn’t have to handwrite her exams. The food was rather good at Trio, though priced to match. Both Dar and Chellez had prosciutto-wrapped filet mignon with mustard gratin, wild mushrooms, sautéed spinach & roasted farmer’s potatoes. I had gorgonzola-stuffed breast of chicken seasoned with fresh herbs over sweet peas & broccoli rabe. The wine by the glass was adequate, the grappa was fantastic (along with the custard and fruit, and the best damn biscotti I have had in ages). The highlight of the evening, IMO was the olives. Definitely tops.
Sunday started slowly. Chellez had a headache, I made some pancakes, not a whole lot going on. I got a dishwasher over eBay (something we have been wanting since we moved), and then tried to get my bro to help me go pick it up. Instead we are doing it today, I hope. Sunday afternoon Chellez went out to get snowboarding gear, while I geeked around with the bro. Carnivale Sunday night – one episode left, I hope it is not a signature cliffhanger.
Yesterday was eventful – shot out of work a little early to get some serious shopping done for the NHPA bi-monthly potluck. I elected to make turkey pot pies for ~ 20 people (mini pot pies that is). Unfortunately, A&P had a rather anemic selection of turkey breasts, so I ended up buying/cooking an entire turkey. According to feedback today, things went very nicely as far as the pot pies were concerned, which is good, because I was horribly concerned over the reheatability of them.
Today has been a pretty awful day at work – exceptionally dismal, and wrought with many pressures. I am very glad this is a short week.
Today I go to get the dishwasher. I hope that it fits in my brother’s car. If not, I am going to be a very unhappy person. “Stabby”, to steal a phrase coined by sempereadem.
Ski trip plans are building – I’m psyched to be able to ply my culinary talents, but I am worried about having to prepare ion a kitchen which I have never seen. Such are the woes of vacation cooking I guess.