Sunday, September 21, 2008

French Toast


Dinners have been out lately, Island Pub business dinner, 50th Anniversary Celebration Wine Tasting, some form of Rotary Wine tasting, but this morning: Challah French Toast with fresh raspberry jam and lots of butter. Perfect.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Pizza Island Pub-style

Neither of us had the energy to cook last night so we went to our neighborhood pizza pub place, The Island Pub in Douglas. John had, at the recommendation of Mike Peterson, the new Alaskan lager, and I had Los Cardos Malbec. We ordered a pizza with House cheese (a mix of moz and provolone), fresh mozzarella, red sauce, roasted whole garlic cloves, Italian hot sausage, mushrooms, and fresh basil. Lots of folks had a similar response to the increasingly bad news of the day (capped by the fact that somehow Henry's application for a permanent fund dividend this year of all years didn't get submitted....$3000 error.) and we saw lots of friends enjoying a pint and pizza. Yelped it.
Home to read Margery Allingham.

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Luckily, Diamonds International and Columbian Emerald are still open


John plans steak for our dinner this evening.

As he was preparing the dog's dinner this evening, he decided to chop up the little leftover flank steak from the other day to add to his dish. I commented on how he was spoiling the dog, and he said, "Well, I'm spoiling you, so naturally, I'm going to spoil the dog."

I think he just has time to run downtown, there are five ships in and the stores are open late.

Eating for the Arts



We have a program to attempt to raise funds for the new Arts & Culture Center called TLC for Visitors, a Taste of Local Culture. Local hosts provide dinners in their homes for visitors (or, as it is turning out, locals who want a good dinner out) and the proceeds go to support the art center.

We had Servas visitors on Wednesday and Thursday (interesting pair who are also Servas hosts, touring in Alaska from California, one a Russian anthropological research scientist studying Old Believers and the other an artist and curator of Asmat culture and art, now retired and cultivating an organic farm in Sacramento) and on Wednesday five visitors from Colorado walked into the Center and asked if they could get dinner that night or the next. The call went out for hosts and I figured, what the heck we have to make dinner for two extra, why not seven extra. So I dashed home at lunch time and set the table and tidied up, and put on a loaf of sourdough bread to rise, John got some sockeye salmon, a Arts Council volunteer made dessert, and we had a lovely dinner that started with goats milk cheese from the Mat-Su (Palin country) and crackers, and grilled salmon, Romano beans, tossed salad, oven roasted potatoes, a selection of interesting wines, and lots of conversation.

The visitors were active in the arts council in Steamboat Springs CO, and had family in Massachusetts. The group consisted of a Catholic father, a droll and witty gentleman, celebrating his 80th birthday on 8/8/08, and two couples he had married 25 years ago.

We did have to declare the table a Palin-free zone, although I suspect them of supporting her candidacy. It is better for the digestion.

Monday, September 8, 2008

Chicken and bread

Nipped out yesterday morning to pick the last of the raspberries (before the neighborhood folks got them....and before the torrential rain) and made a little batch of jam, which came out better than the last batch, made granola, and made sourdough bread. All before lunch. Had to sit down for the rest of the day...did get started on the thanksgiving in NC project though.

So John made oven fried chicken, a big green salad, squash, and fruit to go with the fresh bread, it was our favorite Veramonte again, a hot bath, and Barbara Kingsolver's Animal Vegetable Miracle. We did briefly violate the Palin-Free zone, but retraced our steps and got back onto digestible topics to finish the meal.

It was, weatherwise, so nasty, that the bouncy Coco, all I-Want-To-Go-For-A-Walk-Bounce-Bounce, went out tail up and full of vim, took a pee and turned right around and wanted to go back immediately. Fall is in the air, and is in liquid form.

Eating for the Boy Scouts



Good, and generous, friends who are active with the local Boy Scouts, gave us tickets for the annual fundraising dinner up on Mt. Roberts Tram in the Timberline. We enjoyed lots of visiting, wine, a stuffed pork roast, and bidding on items. Holy cats, they make almost $25,000 on their auction! I came home with a lamp, a walking stick, and a scholarship for a scout to go to camp.

PS Read about Yelp in the NYTimes yesterday. What a handy site! Although why someone recommends the Glory Hole (our local soup kitchen) as a place to eat in Juneau is a mystery. Do you supposed they didn't realize? The local community group cooking for the day can be very proud! Surely the "free" part would have given it away? or is this backwards day, and one means the opposite of what one says?

Eating Locally

I have the good fortune to have a fisherman in building. When he is not recording local musicians, he is out fishing. Last week the catch was slim apparently, so slim it was not worth trying to sell to the packers, so he brought each of us a salmon filet.
Perfect end of a long Friday: John BBQ'd it and served it with a big green salad and some fresh (not locally grown) fruit. Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc, although we no longer recommend it....it jumped ship to another distributor.

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Dinnertime: A Palin-free zone


Last night was the night before school starts and the night before Ren returns to Smith for her senior year. We invited Uncle Thad and Aunt Lynn (the local French teacher) and James over for pizza. Homemade crust, one with sausage and mushrooms (a tiny corner mushroom-free for the anti-mushroom contingent) and the other with fresh basil, fresh tomatoes, and black olives. Lots of cheese. There was a big green salad and fresh mango, nectarine, and grape salad. Souverain merlot.

About half-way through we declared dinnertime a Palin-free zone, and will maintain that through November.

Relaxing afterward, Lynn treated Pinot Noir to a thorough brushing, and no doubt had to go home and de-furr herself.