Diary, most dear, Dec. penta 2009

Was feeling overwhelmed by the relentless crazies of Already Dead, and rummaged about the shelves for something else.  Ahhh, James Beard's 1964 memoir, Delights & Prejudices.  Perfect.  I'll go back to Mr. Johnson when I'm a little less broken.

Hey, what's that tucked between pages 128 and 129?  A folded page of Lota's handwritten notes, planning a dinner party menu.  Looks like there were 10 of us.  One of couples on the list broke up years ago, and one the dear friends on the list passed away longer ago than that.  But that planned-for & no longer remembered (by me) night sure looked like we were bound to eat well.  Starting with an eggplant and country bread deal (this was ages before I started making my now famous-in-my-own-home caponata).  1st course was either mussels w/ginger & lemongrass or a fennel / mushroom / Parmesan salad or crab chevre ravioli.  Main course was either whole snapper w/ dill & peppercorn or grouper w/ fingerlings & morels, plus a veg and Lori's grandmother's cole slaw.  I've tucked the notes back where they were.  Check in with me after the twenty-teens, and we'll see if they are still there.

& food-wise, it's been a pretty perfect day, Diary, hasn't it?  In the morning I made the dough I prepped yesterday it into a ciabatta.  Mmmm, fresh baked salty bread for breakfast.  And because Lota is shooting this evening, I made dinner at lunch-time: chicken with ginger-scallion sauce, edamame and brown rice.  And this evening, the reverse-lay-up-lunch, more of the ciabatta with some of the cheese I brought back from Amsterdam and some left-over kielbasa from Flying Pigs.  And a generous dose of Luzon Verde.  (Mourvèdre.  I woke up early on Friday to Mourvèdre the car.  Nu?)  Have I mentioned, Diary, the Amsterdam salamis that were confiscated from me in Customs?  I was scolded.  I had put my country at risk!  Weep!

What with all the running around and worries these last weeks, I never got started on the liqueurs I was expecting to make for X-mas gifts.  Well, I started a couple this evening, an anisette and a ginger-cardamom concoction.  Double-sized batches.  Both will be ready around X-mas or New Years.  I feel like maybe I've made these just for me, rather than for giving away.  I'm awfully thirsty, Diary.  Well, invite whomever you like to come over and share them .  xoxoxo.