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October 31, 2005
Pumpkin Weekend
8 pumpkins at 49 Ford. 2 to carve, and 6 to cook. We started at around 845pm-ish. I think Danny got out of the kitchen around 3am...
Danny & Christine getting started...
Pumpkin carving tools
Danny's cookin tonight...
Pumpkin hollows
Mine
Sssseeeeeeedssss...
Christine's castle. She did just buy a house after all.
Mine. The first was made at work on Friday in 10 minutes; the 2nd at the Pumpkin-carvin fest...
Posted by claudine at 05:13 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 24, 2005
No-photographs, but ....
Saturday
Waffles in the morning. Golden-crisp, perfectly browned, amazing and perfect cross-hatched squares from a 50-year old inherited iron. Buttermilk, with rolled oats and hints of vanilla. Hand-whipped the creme chantilly, thick and voluptuous, meant for slathering. There was some initial bewilderment due to mis-matched hand-beater implements, but everything worked out in the end. We served, in addition, strawberries and bananas and raspberries, and sliced almond slivers and pure maple syrup to drizzle ...
Sunday morning
Breakfast made -- by an amazing person with a talent for creating exceptionally delicious meals with whatever's available in the fridge. 3-egg omelette with sauteed onions, marmalady and sweet. Fresh tomatoes and crisp crumbled bacon; soft herbed mozzarella di buffala; an avocado lacing as topping (it's a homage to Venus in Berkeley). Afterwards, whiling away what was left of the afternoon at the corner cafe, sipping soy chais and paging through the Guardian. A walk through the house up for sale across the street, daydreaming in that lovely sky-lit loft.
Sunday evening
We are making samosas; or rather, Sean is making samosas, with all the aplomb of a gourmand used to having his way in (or should I say with,) the kitchen. First he makes the dough (I am impressed), and then the filling -- potatoes and peas, (and some chicken, at our request). He forms them into pouches that, admittedly, don't quite look like what one usually gets at an Indian restaurant; we later figure out that the ones shaped like potstickers contain the chicken. We also make a yogurt raita with cucumber, shredded mint and fine, chopped garlic.
Danny and I prep for the coconut-curry stew: cauliflower, onion, almost a whole head of garlic. One can never have too much garlic, right? Green beans, chayote (which I haven't cooked since leaving the Philippines), and the most adorable tiny red potatoes the size of a half-dollar. Red-and-yellow bell peppers, mushrooms and garbanzo beans round out the mixture. I sautee the aromatics first and sprinkle on curry and cumin and garam masala; adding and alternating spices as I add and alternate the layers of vegetables. Danny sets a pot of jasmine rice next to mine on the stove and I pour coconut milk into the stew and leave it to simmer. We all fiinally dine around 11, having been fortified to this point, with shrimp chips and beer, and occasional sly nibble-tastes at our dishes. I get teased for my 16 oz. of Franziskaner malt liquor.
It has been a perfectly hedonistic weekend, but despite -- or perhaps because of -- the excess of good food, good company and drink, I fall asleep at 1, and dream sweet, blissful dreams.
Posted by claudine at 07:23 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack