Cooking Up a Storm

We smoked some Steel Head Trout (they looked like Salmon) on the smoker and then I made my soignee appetizer with endive leaves, cream cheese with scallions and dill, and a piece of trout on each leaf, garnished with a dill spring.  Took them to a party last night and they disappeared.  A bit of trout and cream cheese remains for breakfast.

This morning I got up early (for me) and put a spinach quiche in the oven for a neighborhood brunch.  There is enough left for dinner.  Forgot to take a photo of it, but it was yummy looking with a nice brown crust and a mushroom design on the top with some parsley as garnish.

My friend from Riverwoods, Illinois, Lynn Zaremba gave me her quiche recipe years ago.  I have to confess I used a ready-made pie crust due to time constraints.  The original crust is delicious as are the various permutations of quiche Lorraine the various flavors.  A spinach quiche is good for vegetarians.  I'll publish this recipe in a future post.  Quiche makes a good Sunday supper. 

We visited the Mark Twain house in Hartford yesterday on a group tour.  Such an interesting place, and no one was cleverer with tongue and pen than Twain.  Some of the gew-gaws and cut glass reminded me of things my grandma had, a sweet-sad memory.  We schlepped the trout, cream cheese, dill and endive around in a cooler all day until we arrived at the party where I assembled it.  Someone had smoked ribs, and were they ever good.  The taste of smoked food always provokes a visceral reaction.  Did our ancient ancestors sit around the camp fire eating smoked fish and mammals?

The Ryder cup had a big surprising finish.  We sat in the Papparazzi bar in Framingham and watched a bit in the late afternoon waiting for the party to start. I dig their Beef Carpaccio big time.  Too much food this weekend.  Must be good all this week.

I put a notice about my book, World of Mirrors on a bunch of bulletin boards by the mail boxes in our condo area, and have actually got some sales and notice.  It never hurts to advertise.  May even get a speaking gig. 

So much for the weekend.  On Sundays I have horrible conflicts with various television shows:  Masterpiece Mystery, Copper, Boardwalk Empire, and even The Good Wife.  Thank heavens for taping and On Demand.  Now I need to write something.  And maybe take a walk.  Slothfulness is not good.


Grapeshot  

God, Mother and Country

Faith, Family and Flag!  Holey Shamoley!  Doesn't that translate in God, Motber, and Country?  I believe it was that old Elitist Dr. Johnson who remarked that patriotism was the last refuge of the scoundrel.

I remember a speech about GMC in the Riverwoods Village Hall, Riverwoods, IL,  by Barbara C. way back in the late 70's.  There may have been dry eyes in the house, but not her's and her chin quivered and her eyes teared up as she uttered the sacred words, "The Children."  I was a young mom but even then I knew enough to recognize demagoguery.

Today is Thanksgiving, and we can all count our blessings as we overindulge and watch football and prepare for the marathon weekend of shopping.  I will try my damndest not to do any of these things.  Food in moderation, football, well, just the Pats and no shopping whatsoever. Abstinence is good, sometimes.

Be thankful if you have a brain that can think and parse information and use logic and is not polluted by celebrity worship, and all the hoo-ha that our age vomits forth.

Grapeshot