Yet another feast!

I don't know how she does it, but Helen keeps managing to pull off these amazing feasts.

Tonight's meal began with a turkey-based soup, filled with the most beautifully light Romanian dumplings.

After that, it was a meatfest: chicken skewers, chunks of pork tenderloin and sausage. Plus the most flavourful potatoes -- almost like scalloped ones but without the milk. Naturally, there was a salad and then uh-oh, the desserts.

Our sister-in-law bought an impressive mango torte at a local bakery, but there was also a cheesecake with cherries and more baklava. Really, when we get home, we're going to have to drop a letter from 'feast' and go on a fast!

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.

Feels like Thanksgiving

We never know in advance what our supper will be. Aside from smells wafting out of the kitchen, it’s always a surprise.

A Thursday evening in May doesn’t seem like cause for turkey, especially not with stuffing and all kinds of trimmings. But that’s what we had – a Thanksgiving feast, right down to the mashed potatoes and gravy. There was a sweet potato casserole, green beans, buns and even Greek salad. And oh yes, cranberry sauce.

Last night, a friend and I were talking about an excursion we might take – in November, at American Thanksgiving. Maybe someone overheard, took our conversation as a hint. That, or might they have determined today as the halfway mark to the U.S. holiday?

Whatever the reason, no one’s complaining, especially after dessert. What better classic treat for our stay here in Saskatchewan than saskatoon berry crisp.

Yes, we are thankful.

I've got Greeky friends...

And, I suppose, a few geeky ones.

Tonight's supper gets bumped up a notch, and has to be called dinner. And more than just dinner, it's a dinner party with Greek food on the menu.

The photo above is only the appetizers. The rest of the meal filled an entire table. There was spanakopita, lemony potatoes, pita and homous, Greek salad, and wonderful skewered things done on the barbecue -- mushrooms and peppers and hunks of sweet chicken.

There were also two choices (nearly all of us took both) of cakes for dessert.

Opa!

Who-knows-what

It's another of those ladies' nights, only it isn't here this time. Because it's always spontaneous potluck (I nearly wrote 'combustion'), we never know what supper will be.

Tonight's no different in that respect, so I'll have to write later to fill in the blanks and add a picture.
- -
Well, the potluck supper worked, in the mystical way it always does. There must be a law about that someplace or other. There was sushi, a satisfying Mexican corn bread, a scalloped salmon pie and lots of appie-type tasters, plus a green salad filled with treaty bits -- fresh fruit and cheese. Marilyn's table-setting only enhanced it all. As usual, a terrific evening of laughter and great conversation.

Early, early

Today it was a case of lunch being supper, even if it was a few hours early. It was one of those fabulous potlucks among friends.

There was salmon, a salad of fresh garden greens, and some fabulous cheese-laden breads, topped with broccoli or asparagus.

A little early in the day to count as supper, maybe, but really -- this was the real meal deal for the day. Heck, there were appies and even a chocolate cake with ice cream for dessert. If that isn't a full-course meal, I don't know what might qualify.

Another birthday celebation!

This supper honours one of our extended family members, Mark. He's turning 41, so it isn't as spectacular the meal as he got last year. Still, because he's vegetarian, there won't be any meat or chicken or fish on anyone's plate tonight.

The appies are spinach and portobello mushroom treats, plus a plate of assorted raw vegies and dip.

The main dish is tortellini in pesto, then covered with a mushroom and broccoli sauce. There are green beans on the side, homous for the bread and, of course, a big green salad.

The birthday cake is an experiment with raspberries. A little on the flat side, but considering the ingredients, I expect that it will be scrumptious!

Oops!

We'd just finished supper when the realization hit. For the first time this year, I'd forgotten to take a picture of supper. I guess I was too busy enjoying the company a family supper means.

For what it's worth, we'll all have another meal from this, always a lucky feeling.

Anniversary Potluck

There's a potluck supper party tonight for a couple who've been married 38 years. Any pair together that long understands that a relationship is a kind of potluck. A little of this, sometimes too much of that. But when it endures 38 years, the mix must be just about right.

Night out in the city

Tonight is a special treat -- supper at a friend's place -- and the friend happens to be one of the best cooks I know. He claims tonight's meal is not very fancy, but I'm beginning to doubt that. This decision is based partly on his track record, partly on the fact that he's mentioned two of my favourite words, polenta and duck.

The last time I had duck was at a birthday party in July, so that alone sounds like a spectacular (spec-quack-ular?) treat.

No photos possible until tomorrow. System here is too unfamiliar. Besides, the smells wafting into this little room are telling me it's time to be ready to eat!

PS Next day: the photo above was our first course at table, and appeared after several rounds of delightful appies in the living room. This avocado and shrimp salad is surrounded (clockwise) by tidbits of Dungeness crab claw, marinated seaweed, smoked salmon and smoked tuna, beet terrine, and teriyaki sablefish. And like I said, this was only the first course.

We also had the promised duck -- breast meat in a wonderfully rendered cherry sauce -- accompanied by steamed pea pods and an oniony polenta, otherwise known by its Romanian name, mamaliga.

After that there was a cheese course followed by fruit salad and baklava for dessert.

The video shows Peter engaged in one of the final steps as he prepares the corn meal dish.

And the Oscar goes to . . .

It’s an annual thing – both the Academy Awards Ceremony and a gathering of the same friends. We wear big gaudy jewellery, mark ballots with our predictions, and always eat a themed meal based around titles of the films up for Best Picture.

Because one of our group doesn’t eat meat, the main course won’t be Steak Oscar, but rather, a variation I’m calling Fish Oscar.

Other items on the menu will be “I’m gonna toss him like a salad” Salad (thanks to Rocky the Ram in The Wrestler) and

Slumdog Samosas
The Strange Case-erole of Benjamin Barley with Button Mushrooms
The (Cookbook) Reader’s Vegie Mix
Frosty-Nixon Frozen Yogourt
Milk Chocolate Sauce for “Sunday” Dessert

The big question remaining? Who’ll predict the most winners and win this year’s pool?

Supper with friends

Tonight was dinner with our friends, Dave and Jennifer. When I asked what we were having, Dave said that he and Jen had whipped up some enchiladas. Silly me, for not asking what 'some' meant. Turns out they'd made dinner for fifty. Good thing they have such a big house.

But as they say, a good time was definitely had by all!

Invited out for Saturday night!

Our friend Mary invited us for a beautiful dinner of baked salmon, roasted peppers, and a wonderfully rich potato dish. I'm going to do my best to get the recipe for this variation on scalloped potatoes. It's not only delicious, but sounds like one that's easy to put together in advance. When I get the recipe, I'll add it to this entry.

Even though I've said this isn't a cooking blog, now and then, there's something that just has to be shared. Sort of like a fine dinner with good friends.

Two nights in a row?!

Again, we were invited out to see friends for a suppertime gathering. But tonight's meal could hardly be called supper. This was a full-on dinner.

There was ham, scalloped potatoes (with cheese), carrots, broccoli, salad, and even homemade bread. Plus every kind of trimming you could ask for.

It felt a lot more like an old-fashioned Sunday dinner, but really, what a fine evening. Burp!

Orthodox Christmas comes early

Technically, followers of the Orthodox religion will be observing Christmas on Wednesday, January 7th. Because our family will be working that day, we're celebrating early.

Since everybody had turkey so recently, we're having Cornish hens, packed with stuffing filled with chanterelle mushrooms we picked in the fall. Other accompaniments are mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, and a bacony red cabbage dish I cooked yesterday, so the flavours could blend.

With the family all in attendance, what a happy feast!