Sharing and Caring

Arlene

Greetings,

Funny how the things people say stick in your mind. Several years ago a Mensa member said to me about his (M) bride to be, "She reads everything, even the label on a mustard bottle." Well, I have learned Mensans tend to read a lot-all kinds of printed material. I'd like to share one of my idiosyncrasies. I read restaurant reviews just for fun. Below, for your delectation, are some samples that brought a smile to my face.

"The very chilled salmon carpaccio arrived spread over the plate like a giant jellyfish, sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds and scallion bits. Slipped underneath was a grassy-green mound of whipped avocado. The Fisher 2000 Riesling Ocfener Bockstein Kabinett mingled perfectly." - Harvard U. Alumni Magazine (July-August, 2002).

From The New Yorker magazine:

"To start things off, the waiter arrives at your table with little cups holding decapitated brown eggshells that contain the warm, barely poached yolk of a quail's egg, lukewarm mushroom soup, and a cool puree of chives, each ingredient layered as to defy gravity. And: Appetizers include a tangy tartare of diver scallops and bluefin tuna with caviar, and a terrine of rabbit, complemented by a green coulis made with Riesling and the highly aromatic herb hyssop. The animal's tiny, tasty innards make for a picturesque garnish" (July 2002).

And from the October 15th issue, "Standouts among the antipasti include grilled octopus with broccoli rabe and cippolini onions, and a lighter-than-air fritto misto of calmari, shrimp, sardines, and zucchini."

From Rhode Island Monthly,(October 2002):

"Some of the appetizers are so good, I almost wish they were entrees. The grilled quail, glazed with a subtly piquant pomegranate molasses and laid on a bed of frissee with accents of spiced macadamia nuts is one of those." Also

"The almond polenta cake was buttery under its generous bath of blueberry compote and a frilly blob of whipped cream." And,

"My entree arrived, coquilles St. Jacques et crevettes Provencale. Fat sea scallops and sweet jumbo shrimp sauteed in white wine, garlic, and tomato concasse were draped with slender asparagus spears."

Bon appetit!

Arlene and her 4 angels