But What About the Food and Drink?

On JP's list of Things to Do in Seattle was having cocktails with The Neighbor. So around 5 we trooped over. The Spouse came along, too. The Child popped in and out but she was getting ready to go to the concert. We sat on the deck and had wine and chips. I just kept looking at JP and grinning because he was really here.

Then, since it was The Spouse's and my anniversary, the four of us went out to an intimate little place called Dulce's which does very fine food with a Euro-Latin emphasis. (It's run by a husband and wife team...she cooks, he works the front of the house and acts as sommelier).

The Neighbor had a cioppino, JP had lamb, The Spouse had the Nebraska corn-fed beef (which of course JP refused to order because hello? like he'd come all the way to Seattle to eat beef? Not. Which begs the question, so did you serve him salmon? No.) I had ravioli with a dreamy veal confit. There was a lovely bottle of wine. There was laughter. There was aforementioned sneezing on the dessert cart. (Which embarrassed me greatly but seriously, my cold was worsening by the moment and there just wasn't anything to be done about it. Fortunately, that's not the food they serve to people. Oh, and I had a blackberry trifle and The Neighbor shared a chocolate Napolean with JP and The Spouse had a glass of muscat).

Then we went home and JP and The Dog had a moment.

On Saturday, while The Spouse was giving JP an eyeful of Seattle, I baked cake. I have no Martha Stewart-y skills when it comes to cake and also had 6 pans, 2 of each size ranging from 10 inches to 8. I decided to just stack them all, with raspberry preserves between the layers and cover the mess with ganache. A few raspberries to distract the eye and a jaunty Eiffel Tower and the top and it was ok. Actually, it made me laugh. But it tasted great.

Dinner came first, of course. There were peanuts and olives for aperitif and then we had daube with cute little mini baguettes and a mixed green salad with shallot dressing and goat cheese crouton. By that point my cold was seriously affecting my tastebuds but I'm assured by healthier folks that the food was fabulous.

Sunday was another matter. I had intended to make a nice dinner for JP. But between colds and champagne and excitement and staying up late, there was very little energy in the house. I'd made a strata for brunch, which we had with Bloody Mary's. But you know what we had for dinner? Frozen pizza. That's right. And it tasted just dandy. I'll cook for JP another time.