Shoestring Gourmet: A Food Odyssey |
Our theme in November was Amish. Syd Golston kicked things off with a potent dose of Goldschlager, a cinnamon schnapps with particles of gold leaf that tickled the schnozz and exploded across the palate. This was a great complement to Marilyn McDonald’s spice-tinged apple butter, served on rustic hard-crust bread. Gerry Brazelton contributed two Gewurtztraminers, one a special dry variety, reminiscent of Alsace-Lorraine. As another appetizer, Ursula Gore prepared a rich, crispy scrapple (corn meal with pork scraps).
Syd then brought out her chicken-corn soup with rivels (little dumplings). Jim Morgan then presented his sinfully rich chicken pot pie with homemade egg noodles. (By the way, Jim also brought a copy of his new book, The Coppers, to share with us.)
For our next course, Ray Pisar served a tantalizing flaky crusted fresh-oyster pie. Diana Toone accompanied the pie with her coleslaw with an unusual cooked peanut-based dressing.
For our next course, first-timer Diann Smith presented lima beans Provençale, kissed with clove, nutmeg, and sweet cream. They were wonderful. Gerry then served his succulent roasted pork medallions with simmered apple/raisin garnish. Linda Brazelton also tempted us with her piquant, sweet/sour red cabbage and bacon. Pat Hull spooned up potato "filling" (Amish for "dressing"), a melange of mashed potatoes, bacon, celery, and eggs.
Dessert was simple, but scrumptious: Janet McDonald’s rich-textured apfel kuchen (apple cake) with cinnamon-butter glaze.
Now: Once upon a time, in a kitchen long ago and far, far away…
Next month, at Jim Morgan’s house, we’re going to celebrate the Jim and Marilynnium: Jim and Marilyn’s 10th anniversary. The theme will be "Foods of Science Fiction." What will we have? Perhaps "qach" ("gahk") the Klingon delicacy, which is a "movable" feast consisting of live "worms." (We cowardly Terrans will certainly prefer non-peripatetic noodles.) And no sci-fi meal would be complete without a variant of soylent green, the infamous little crackers of, shall we say, a very human origin. And what was that blue bread with the green goo they served on the Vogon ship in Hitchhiker’s Guide? We can do that. Or the creamed cauliflower Keir Dullea ate at the end of 2001. We’ll wash it all down with Romulan ale, which is kind of scarce in these parts (or maybe it’s all cloaked). Let your imagination transport you, but confer with the Feastmaster to prevent duplications. (He’ll have suggestions if you draw a blank.)
Dinner will be served on Saturday, December 11. We’ll meet at 6, eat at 7. Call Starfleet Feastmaster Jim at 480-831-2170 to make reservations and coordinate contributions.
May the feast be with you!