Chris wrote:

> That sounds good -- I'm sure you'll report on the soup and your meal,
> and I look forward to hearing how it goes.


Here's the report. The first course was a carrot-ginger soup. I
browned an onion (1 onion, fist sized, chopped), added 1# carrots
(peeled and rough chopped, about 3 cups) and enough water just to cover
and boiled until tender. I then pureed the whole thing in the blender.
When the blender blades wouldn't move because the mixture was too
thick, I added cream and milk (maybe 1/2 cup cream and 1 cup milk. I
really meant to measure so I could tell you guys, but I didn't at that
point.) I also added a good Tablespoon of grated ginger (I keep mine
preserved in sherry in the fridge.) I let it cool overnight. My guest
pronounced it good and worried that it might be too rich for her because
it was so thick. I reassured her that the thickness was only due to
using lots of carrots and less liquid. Perhaps I could have thinned it
out a little more. The flavor was very good.


The second course was coq au vin. I normally use the recipe in Joy of
Cooking. This time I didn't add the carrots but used celery instead and
some shiitake mushrooms in addition to the button ones. It didn't come
out as well as it has in the past. That may have been because of the
quality of the wine. I have to figure out the right wine to cook with
that doesn't cost too much but holds its taste after longer simmering.


Dessert was fabulous. We had raspberries from our own garden, good
strawberries, blueberries and cherries. She said she feels most
comfortable when she has something to do to help so I put her to work
pitting cherries. I'd said I'd make raspberry fool but changed my mind
at the last minute and went with berries in sabayon sauce instead.
That's 4 egg yolks and 1/3 cup sugar whipped together in the top of a
double boiler for several minutes, then 3/4 cup champagne added while
whipping for another 10 minutes. We took turns whipping. It came out
great. The quality of the fruit was excellent, and the sauce added to
the flavor and complemented instead of overpowering. Somehow the
amounts worked out right too with most of the dessert just being the
excellent fruit and only a little sauce.


This is a new friend I met at a party last December. The only trouble
with the evening is that she came over to help me with a webpage. I've
never had one and know nothing about how much they're supposed to cost.
The only thing I know about webpages is that I've looked at a few.
She showed me her other customers' pages, and I'm not sure I liked them
all that well. So I have to figure out what I think of her prices and
pages. I'd say the evening went well.


--Lia