Freuhlings Fest

Its been almost a year since I was at Fruehlings Fest in Stuttgart. And it was one of the best times I've had. T and I rodes rides, played carnival games, drank beer, ate chicken, and danced on tables. I still have the green gorilla that he won me. I kept it suction-cupped to my mas all night long. And while I can't relive that night, I am going to throw a German-style beer party at our house. We have enough beer to serve almost a whole tent worth of people, but I'm just hoping for a porch-full. I'm still working on the menu, but I'm thinking that it will be some combination of the following:

• Wurst (weisswurst if I can get it)
• Jagerschnitzel
• Kase Spatzle
• Potato Salad
• Suggestions?........

This time we are combining T's co-workers and my friends. We'll see how that goes. Hopefully it won't be too strange. I'm a little afraid that people won't want to talk to me. I'm afraid that I'm not very interesting. I also feel strange around T's co-workers. I'm always self conscious about whether they are looking down on me because I'm young, or afraid they think I'm not very smart. Well, hopefully I'll have enough of my friends there that they will talk to me.

Well, time to make my shopping list for the party and finish my class.

And in other news, I got below 130 lbs. this morning. It helped that I didn't have dinner last night, but I'm still pretty happy that I'm starting to finally lose the weight. I guess part of being an engineer is being results-oriented. So I'm pretty pleased about hitting a mid-way milestone. Of course the beer and wurst don't help with the weight loss, but hopefully I'll jabber so much with everyone that I won't eat as much as I normally would.

Here's to the weekend! PROST!

On the Porch Again

Its finally getting warm! Its really windy, but at least it is sunny. So I'm sitting on the porch working on a menu for Wed. A couple friends will be coming over, one whom I've never cooked for. So I'm allowed to go a little over-the-top. Which of course means it will be a heavy, fattening, stick-to-your-ribs kind of meal.

Because C. likes red meat, and I like seafood, and T. likes anything I cook, I think the menu I have thus far will meet all requirements:

Crab Stuffed Mushrooms
Filet Mignon Wrapped in Bacon
Lobster Thermidor
Purple Potato Gallette
Popovers
Mini Lemon Cheesecakes with Strawberries
Mini Chocolate Mouse Cups
Cheese and Port Board

Some of those things are repeats, but it is a Wed night and I really do want to impress them. The purple potatoes are hard to work with, so those will be my challenge. Plus the mini cheesecakes and mousse are going to be difficult to put together. With T and I on a diet, I don't get to cook like this very often. So I'm going all out for this one.

UPDATE (Posted April 24):
I nixed the potato gallette for french browned carrots (trying to make things a little lighter). And I didn't serve the cheese and port board. But the best thing I did was to substitute my two mini deserts with a traditional Grand Marnier Souffle. It was beautiful and light and fluffy. I spent a ton of time looking at souffle advice. Souffles are easy, kind of. And don't take that long to make. I think I made the base too thick, because it didn't puff as much as I wanted, but it did puff nicely and it tasted wonderful. Trudy loved it, so that made me really happy. And the lobster thermidor is always my favorite (plus the popovers). On the whole, really, really nice evening. Plus the wine was good. T. picks really good wine, which is surprising for someone who didn't know anything about wine until he met me.

A Trifling of Sweets

I want to make something sweet. I don't know why. I don't even really want to eat it. I just want to make something. I'm going crazy. With T and I watching what we eat, I feel so stymied. So I decided to make Spiced Pear and White Chocolate Trifle. It turned out beautiful, and not all that hard to make. It was a very light desert. Very refreshing, in a way.

I also made the same red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting that I made for my birthday last year. I haven't cut into it yet, but I know it will be good. I think that even though I want to make the most complicated, over-the-top things my taste still runs to the basics, good cheese, good wine, good cake, and the occaisional fried food. Ugh, this diet is hard.

Well, here's a picture of the trifle. Back to my veggies and fiber.

Happy Birthday T

T turned "not older" this weekend, and we went up the The Cliffs in Northern South Carolina. It was partially for a work trip for him, and we extended it into the weekend to look around the area. The coolest part for me was the helicopter ride. Having never been in a helicopter the feeling of slowly lifting off and turning was rather unsettling, but exhilerating at the same time.

The other cool part about the trip was seeing their organic farm that supplies the restaurants in the developments. Lots of work, it looks like, which makes me feel better about paying $3.50 for a single organic bell pepper. I like the philosophy of the developments, trying to maintain as much natural land as possible, encouraging hiking, serving organic food, and giving back to the community. Of course the world-class golf courses don't interest me in the least, but if it helps support things like organic farms and public school eduction on nutrition, then who am I to complain?

The food we had was exceptional. T had a beet salad that was to die for, and I'm not usually a person to swoon over vegetables, but this one was amazing. I had a portobella mushroom with onions, goat cheese, and greens over parsnip puree that was excellent. What was the most interesting was getting to taste salsify. It was kind of bland. But I'm always up for trying something new.

Flattery will get you everywhere

Well, Greg is in town, which means I'm cooking. How can I resist when he tells me that I have the best restaurant in town? And of course I'm going to try to do something amazing. I'm thinking about doing the below:

Balsamic roasted portobello mushrooms with carmelized onions and goat cheese
Orange and herb crusted lamb chops
Marscapone mashed potatoes
Strawberry cream cake

Update:
Since this wasn't actually posted on the day it started, let me tell you how the meal turned out.

The lamb was perfect, the mushrooms were EXACTLY what I wanted, and the cake turned out so beautifully. It was a full 4 layers of cake, with jam and buttercream between the layers, and fresh strawberries on the outside. I was actually the most proud of the cake. And of course I got lots of compliments when I took it in to Thy and Estelle the next day.

I think I did some sort of vegetable, but I can't for the life of me remember. It must have been at least a little healthy, which is why I always forget. The healthy stuff just isn't interesting enough to warrant space in my memory. Well, at least not that often. But Greg loved it, which was the whole point. And of course told me what a good cook I was. I know, I'm a sucker for flattery......

Stars and Stew

The 3-star general was in town, so everyone has their proverbial panties in a wad. It wasn't that bad, but it made me feel very young, and rather like an outsider. The culinary highlight was an authentic shrimp boil. And while it was good (shrimp, potatoes, corn, and anduille sausage, what's not to like?), I don't really see the appeal. But I went. I feel very strange being at those things. I know I'm welcome, and its kind of an ego boost to know that all I have to do is ask for something and people will help me, its also strange to be at T's work.

We also went out to one of the local seafood places on Shem Creek, T's senior staff and spouses were all invited. That wasn't bad, but I got to sit next to the general and it was really clear that he didn't want to talk to me, that I was way too young, and how dare I have a career instead of suplicating myself at the feet of T's prestigous rise to fame and fortune as an officer. Well, I guess that's a little mellow-dramatic. But it was still strange to be in that situation.

As a break from the culinary discussions, I do want to say that I am really proud of T and think he has a great career. He is a wonderful leader, and I love to hear about what he is doing. And of course I want to be supportive. I just feel strongly that supportive doesn't have to be keeping a clean house and making sure there is dinner on the table, I feel that supportive can also mean being a backboard to toss ideas against, a non-judgemental listener, and a different perspective. I guess that also means that sometimes dinner isn't hot and the house isn't clean. But I think we have a pretty darn good arrangement.

Well, time to go pack for another trip to Tampa. Luckily the food is good there

Grit-y Week

Its been one hell of a week. I'm taking a week-long class on project management with the world's most annoying group. The guy next to me keeps a running commentary on everything the teacher says. On top of that, work doesn't stop because I'm in class. I'm just ready to quit. I'm tired of my job, tired of Charleston, tired of all the hassle, tired of feeling like an outsider on everything that I have to do.

T took me to 82 Queen last night. The food was good, at least pretty good. I think my standards are going up. Their shrimp and grits are good, but they just don't put enough of the cheese and BBQ sauce on as I think they should. I guess I should learn to just order things that I wouldn't or haven't made at home. I know my own tastes well enough to know what I like. Which, unfortunately for me, usually means higher fat content. Oh well. I do make a darn good shrimp and grits. And the cheese and BBQ sauce seem like an odd combination, but they are, in fact, excellent.

Its just been a rough week. Its about time for a weekend.