(no subject)

[pecunium]

This is a great time of year, starting at Hallowe'en, and running to Twelfth Night is the season of being sociable. It's a grace note, or perhaps the reason for so many excuses, that this is the dark of year, and convivial company is a way to keep the cold at bay.

This year there were two thanksgivings, skeetermonkey asked me to help him throw a dinner party, so he could practice for The Big Day, which was his first performance of the day for an audience.

We had eleven people. For nibblies on arrival a cheese plate; Humbolt Fog, mahon, Leyden; with cumin, gouda; cheddared with porter, a cheese which looked like brie; but was some form of butter cheese, and a couple of others which I no longer recall. This was served with crusty baguette, and some buals madiera, from the historic wine company. It was in the style of the buals popular in Boston in the late 1700s.

While we cooked, Nathan, skeetermonkey and I drank Brother Thelonius; a Trappist Ale, from Uniebrowe in Canada. It was very good. Sweetish, malty, hints of cinnamon and clove. A slight fizz, and thin head.

During the afternoon, while we were waiting for things to do the sorts of things they needed to do for the next phase of the cooking, we noodled about. I on a pennywhistle, and he on his mandolin. It was fun, but I need more practice with other people, and probably a metronome, since I have evolved far too fluid a tempo. This was when the place up the hill (some 100 meters away) was practicing for the karoaoke they did later in the evening. The new neighbor said it was strange to see us, through he window, and be able to hear nothing but snippets of hip-hop. We invited her to dinner, after we discussed the various merits of shooting out the speakers. It was during this conversation that it came out she had a Ph.D in ethics and social policy.

Dinner was turkey, chestnut dressing, potatoes, gravy, green beans, sweet potatoes (of the variety commonly called yams) Trimbach Gewrtztraminer, a beerenauslese to go with the apple and pumpkin pies.

We got mingle with friends, spent some time with off_coloratura who's in town to perfrom in a couple of operas.

Thanksgiving at home was the usual, though we did add Maia's dressing, since she thinks Barry's is too heavy.

Saturday we went to LosCon, and I got to see soggyoptomist whom I'd not seen since, IIRC, 1999, in person. So we retired with a crowd of people I'd not seen since, oh, about the same time frame, some of whom were shocked to discover I wasn't dead, or something.

Maia and I went to supper with my folks, and pleasant conversation was had. Marty has started sampling beers again (which he'd not had many of since his father was posted away from German, about forty-five years ago. I ordered a Fuller's 1875 for him, had a Trois Pistoles (by Uniebrowe). The lamb chops (mistakenly called a rack of lamb) were decent, the potatoes slightly better. The beer went well.

After that we mingled through parties, and ended up at the Prime Time Party (from 0100-0700), which we had to leave early, but much good conversing was had, as well as an himbeer schapps, some talisker and a Malmsey, no one, thankfully, had to be drowned it.

Tues. Maia and I went to the Highland Park farmers' market. We bought bread, carrots, lettuces and some of the last of the seasons raspberries. The white were better, and I got three half-pints. When we got home I stewed them and pressed them. Then I scalded the juice into some heavy cream. It's very sublte, but three cups of berries yields only about 4 oz. To do anything with it I needed more.

In the room I saw, on the dry-goods shelf, a package of dried raspberries. So I set them to soak, and then, when Barry and I were prepping the fridge for the meats we need for Autumn Ball of the Friends of the English Regency (probably the oldest regency dance group in the country. I started dancing with them at a LosCon, 30 years ago this weekend) on Saturday. I'm making a lobscouse, Barry his usual ragoût) there was revealed a package of frozen raspberries. I now have enough juice to make a custard.

For supper I took the stock from the turkey (mosty drippings) and added about 3 lbs of carrots, and one onion, also enough water to make about 2 qts. Cooked them until they were soft enough to mash with a spoon, and then puréed the lot; voila, carrot soup. Some ginger would go well with it, but I didn't want to be too adventurous with something Marcia hadn't had before. It was well recieved, and she thinks some ginger would go well.

Photos, though not of these things, should follow, but since I've been saying that for some time, I'd advise against holding your breath.