So did a passel of art faculty, English faculty, grad students, and
secretaries. Then there were the area artists and at least one art
dealer, to boot. That's not counting our frinds from Wichita, who
pulled up as stuff was being set up. Many spouses, partners, squeezes
and shack jobs came as well. I'm not sure, but I think one or two
partners of convenience attended too. Those who RSVPed totaled 71.
More than that came. (Grad student's you know.) Some drank beer.
Some drank wine. Some drank sodas. Some drank water. Some drank a
combination of the above. Some brought beer. Some brought wine.
Some brought sodas. Some brought a combination of beverages.

I think I have more wine now than before the party. I certainly have
two bottles of good champagne I didn't own 36 hours ago.

Zach (the caterer) was a real trooper. So was his wife, Adrian.
The'd been cooking since 7 a.m. when they arrived at 5 p.m. to set up.
He brought a toy pirogue and set up a Cajun food display with chiles,
garlic, bags of bens and rice, etc. He and Adrian set out bread
loaves and salads on a table in the kitchen. Salads were green,
pasta, and mandarin orange.

Then he set a huge pot of seafood gumbo on the stove. Big, it was.
But the pans of jambalaya dwarfed the gumbo pot. Somewhere he'd
squirrelled away pans of bread pudding with whiskey sauce, awaiting
the proper moment.

I'd earlier set out a plate with jamon serrano and sliced figs, along
with a cutting board with an assortment of cheeses, including manchego
and gruyere and Brie. Baskets of crackers, too.

We had coolers on the patio with bottles of water, cans of soda, and
bottles of Abita Turbo Dog beer.

Zach told me he'd made the roux for the gumbo Thursday, but he thought
it had gotten bitter. Didn't really burn, but maybe a touch too dark
anyway. He knew I have South Louisiana connections, so he tossed the
bitter roux and made another one. It was two roux gumbo, and it was
really good. Really good. The jambalaya was nice, too. Smokey from
the seasoning meat and chock full of chicken. But, man, that gumbo!
About 6:45, we called the throng to the feed trough. The gumbo was
wonderful. Rich and lovely with shrimp and chunks of crab meat.

The crowd was big enough that at times the noise of the converstations
was nearly deafening. Buncha yakkers. I played music (Blossom Deary,
Nick Lowe, The Flatlanders, Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros), but
nobody noticed, I'm afraid.

On the whole, I'd say the event was a success. And we have enough
leftovers that we won't have to cook for several days.


modom

"Dallas is a rich man with a death wish in his eyes."
-- Jimmie Dale Gilmore