Farewell dinner

Tonight's meal certainly can't be called 'supper'. Dinner might not even be classy enough. I'm thinking: full-on, exquisite banquet.

We sat down to a beautifully laid-out table, where each person's place was set with the starter, a layered spinach salad.
Once those plates were cleared, we were presented with an array of tidbits, no doubt all lovingly prepared.
I had to try some of everything (who could blame me?). Clockwise from bottom, vegetarian spring rolls, avocado-stuffed cherry tomatoes, zesty chicken drumettes, a mini-quiche, salmon with dill sauce, and a beef empanada. The table held bowls of salsa and creamy sauce, plum sauce for the spring rolls (and of course, I used a few drops of hot sauce).

As if this wasn't enough, there was an unbelievable cheese course. Our choices included camembert, a gorgeously runny brie and a blue cheese with cranberries that was amazing. Accompanying breads ranged from a multigrain baguette to focaccia and an olive-studded crusty loaf.

So who, after all this, needs dessert? We waited for a while, but later by the fire, the Boston cream minis (basically, profiteroles) were little bites of perfection.

The kitchen staff have been so great to us, accommodating vegetarian, even dairy- and gluten-free diets. They've even been willing to dig in the fridge until they could find a bottle of hot sauce, just for me. They've promised to save it for next time I'm here. The tricky bit now is going to be getting back into my own kitchen. I just hope that I remember how to cook.