Easter Images

I had hoped to bring you part 2 of Mike's story in Piedmont, Italy today. This was before the fire alarm sent everyone in our building into the streets at 1 this morning. Of course it was a false alarm but that did not prevent us from losing over 2 hours of precious sleep. Nevertheless here are some shots from our Easter event yesterday which was great success.

We feel so fortunate to have a community of friends in our life and from all over the world. It can be lonely out on the roads of planet Earth and friends like ours make life so much more enjoyable.

Cheers to great friends today!

Hallelujah! - The Stone is Rolled Away

Pardon the gratuitous reference to Easter but I have to address a bit of a miracle. When I posted that my numbers were down I was at the lowest Monday total I had experienced since January, now with 2 hours left before midnight, it is conceiveable I could have my second best day ever.

I bet This Little Light was praying for me. I know the Culinarian Guild was, and Mike's Look at Life is damned certain that She Kept a Parrot and all my Terrified Tastebuds were screaming for brainsnorts. Shhh...nobody tell Susie Lindau that I am a White Trash Gourmet. 

Be vewy very quiet....and love me even more :-)

Haiku Sunday - Easter Ingredients

Left or right hands can

bring the raw to the real while

perhaps not the same

color is often

how we decide and how we

judge food and humor

words are difficult

to describe the tastes and names

of life's blood and pain

imagery: a rotting

tomato at the bottom of a well, half eaten

on one side by worms (Dr John Alvis circa 1990)

flowers come in shapes

that often bear no resemblance

to anything aliveat the end there will

be only joy in the finish but

not in the leaving

Easter Feater 2012 - The Menu

Natale con I tuoi, Pasqua con chi vuoi

Juliet and I began a new tradition for in 2010: The Easter Feaster Feaster. Based on the Italian saying above that loosely translates to Christmas with family and Easter with whomever you would like, we choose to cook a big Easter meal and invite interesting friends to share it.

In 2010 we did a Roman Easter meal with 19 dishes overall and it went about 9 and a half hours. As we are on the road living in 2012 we had to scale back the menu a bit, but hopefully not the fun. Here is a our 2012 Easter Feaster Menu.

Antipasti

MouCo Truffello - Soft Cow's Milk Black Truffle Cheese - Ft Collins, CO

Herbed White Bean Spread with Australian Extra Virgin Olive Oil

A very Pork Heavy Salami - TBD

Castelvetrano Green and Greek Black Olives

Marcona Almonds

Terrified Tastebud - Heavenly Bread

Champagne - Gaston Chiquet Tradition NV

Il Primo Piatto

Spaghetti all'Amatriciana Gialla - Pasta with guanciale, chili, and Maida yellow heirloom tomatoes from Campania - Pecorino Romano

Chianti - Felsina Chianti Classico 2008

Intermezzo

Paciugo Gelato al Limon (Paolo Conte Style) - Fresh Lemon Sorbetto with Basil and Olive Oil

Insalata

Insalata Caprese alla Casa Nostra - Bufala Mozzarella DOP with oven dried heirloom teardrop tomatoes as well as marinated local Colorado San Marzano Tomatoes and EVOO from Argentina

Graves Blanc - Chateau Graville Lacoste 2010

Il Secondo Piatto

Roasted and Shaved Niman Ranch Petite Uncured Ham -  Risi e Bisi - Spinaci alla Siciliana - Shaved Easter Ham, Risotto with Spring Peas, Roasted Carrots, Mascarpone and Parmigiano Reggiano. Fresh Spinach with Garlic, Pine Nuts, and Golden Raisins

Volnay - Michel Lafarge 2006

Il Dolce

Terrified Tastebud Zabaglione e Frutti di Bosco - Sabayon and fresh berries

Sauternes - Chateau Rieussec 1999

Assorted Chocolates

Coffee, Espresso, Grappa, Amaro