getting Christmas going here

It's the Sunday of a four-day weekend, and it's weird to think that it's back to work tomorrow.  A nice four days off, and at the same time, I wish I had done more.  Says the man who cooked enough food for many more just a few days ago.  Ah well.

I am not one much for going out shopping on Black Friday or all the ancillary days that have been attached to it, and so I really didn't.  Still, we did get a start on Christmas this weekend.  For one thing, I have 35 cards ready to go in the mail and some more to write tonight. 

For another, we decorated the tree at Van's place, which was fun because of the stories and memories connected to the ornaments. 

Yes, even the briefs!

So it's on to Christmas, and hooray for that.  But I do wonder when we'll get our own tree put up and decorated....

Van's birthday dinner

Some months back, the three of us agreed that, as much as we love our regular places to dine in Pasadena, we needed to get to other parts of the metro for meals.  Van's recent birthday presented us with a nice opportunity to do so.  Yesterday evening, Conrad and I drove over to his house, gave Olive a little love, then the three of us hopped in an Uber into downtown LA.  The destination was a restaurant Van had not yet tried but that Conrad and I had had a couple of lovely meals at:  71Above.

As the name suggests, the restaurant occupies space on the 71st floor of a downtown skyscraper, the US Bank Tower.  Two elevators to get there, and then you walk out into the main restaurant space, and oh, the views!  To be fair, the inside is a handsome space as well,

and with the addition of some Christmas decor, it was very inviting.  I think Van was pretty impressed.

We ordered drinks at the bar because we were a little early, but were taken to our table relatively quickly.  And here was a small surprise for me and Conrad:  we'd dined there twice and didn't realize the restaurant pretty much wraps around the floor.  We'd only ever seen the south and west views.  Last night, though, we were seated right at the window with views north and east. 

Were it light out, we might have just made out Pasadena in the distance.

Restaurants with such views are often tourist spots, and the food is not great (though Conrad and I had a memorable tasting menu dinner in the Sky Tower in Auckland a few years ago).  Not the case with 71Above.  The drinks were quite fine (mine was called the Flower District)

although I still don't know what the one bartender was thinking with the version of a Greenpoint I was later served (and I even stopped and asked her, and I still don't know why she essentially made me a whiskey sour with what tasted more like an absinthe wash than anything else - weird!)(and that's a small thing - it was still a tasty drink, and the server took it off the bill even though I made no fuss).  The food was pretty tasty, too.  For my part, I had a nice little bucatini starter, featuring some trout roe. 

Dinner for me was cabbage stuffed with wild rice - no, I haven't gone vegetarian, it just sounded so appealing after a few days of turkey! 

And then the carrot granita for dessert. 

Conrad

and I also had a half bottle of a nice Zinfandel.

It was a leisurely meal, lasting over two hours but never feeling as though it were lagging.  Still, by the time the Uber dropped us off, we were all very ready for bed.

We're thinking that when friends come to visit, or on a future special occasion, we need to get back there.  I am sure it will be a nice meal again.

popped into Maestro

We've been so out of routine this fall, but we haven't forgotten our friends.  We were also staring down A LOT of leftovers.  So, to reconcile the two, we popped over to Maestro when it opened yesterday to say hello and have a drink at the bar.  Just the one, no snacks, not even guacamole.  I opted to try the new drink special, whose name I did not catch.  Beet juice, rum, citrus, at least one other thing in there.  It looks Christmassy, right? 

It tasted pretty good, too.

It was good seeing the folks there, catching up.  And then out came a piece of cake and a candle to surprise Van, along with Gabriel serenading him briefly. 

Thanksgiving this year was also Van's birthday (we're taking him out for dinner tonight), so that was a nice treat for him.  And then we came home and made a small dent in the leftovers!

a bit of the feast yesterday

The day after US Thanksgiving, and I'm a bit of a wreck.  In my younger days, even then it was tough working in the kitchen.  At my age, and in the terrible shape I am in, two days of being in the kitchen for hours leaves me worn out and achy.  Not fun, and I will take it very easy today (including a massage).  And maybe at some point I will actually want to eat.

The funny thing is, I took a plate yesterday with a little of everything (except cranberry, which I don't care for with a turkey dinner), and I couldn't eat it all. 

I started on the sides and didn't make it to my drumstick.  Oh, the leftovers we have!  Pot pies on Sunday, I think.

But it was a nice meal.  Five of us - Geoff and Kent came up from the desert with their dog.  Turkey, stuffing, squash, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, Brussels sprouts, pearl onions, glazed carrots and parsnips, cranberry relish, rolls - we had it all.

And sorry, but I will pat myself on the back:  look at that bird!

Maybe I should begin Christmas cards today....

a short walk on a quiet morning

I was up early today.  Unsurprising:  I had to get a turkey in the oven.  5:30, and the bird was in.  I read a bit, then, when it was light, I wandered over to Starbucks.  A quiet day on the Pasadena streets. 

I strolled, sipped, and drank in the day.  And my decaf latte.

And now back to the cooking I have to get done!

pre-Thanksgiving

BIG LONG SIGH.

Holidays like this really take a lot out of me.  Tomorrow is US Thanksgiving, so today (I took the day off), I made

• Pickles
• Sweet potatoes in a maple and cider glaze
• Rolls
  
  
  
• Delicata squash
• Roasted pearl onions with red pepper
• Stuffing (or dressing, as they call it here)
• Brussels sprouts
  
  
  
• Stock

I feel like I'm missing something, and my typing of this post is so wonky.  A lot of time in the kitchen today, and more to come in the morning.  That turkey won't cook itself!

At least there was a pause in there to go for sushi dinner

and wine with Conrad and Natasha. 

Yay! 

I will be so pooped 24 hours from now.🥱🥱🥱

sinking

An appropriate title for a Tuesday night cocktail, the Down With the Ship.

Nice one.  Easing into a very long weekend here....

Séayoncé

Not all adventures are outside of SoCal.  Sometimes it's a matter of getting out into parts of the LA area, especially the city itself, that are new to me even after almost eleven years of living here.  That was the case Monday night when Van and I headed out of Pasadena, into Silver Lake for dinner and then nearby Echo Park for a cabaret show.  And ah, what a show!

(Conrad, by the way, opted not to see live entertainment that started at 9:30ish and stayed home with Olive, enjoying some leftovers, a martini, and a night to himself.)

Van and I started out at Edendale, which seems like a great neighbourhood place that fills an old fire house.  Conrad would love to see the building, I am sure, but he would also enjoy the food and drink.  Van and I shared some onion rings and then each had a satisfying meal - steak frites for me.  It was a chilly night (don't laugh, it was to us!), and I wanted something a little heartier.  Steak it was.  Van had what was essentially a whiskey sour, and I had something like an old fashioned made with mezcal. 

Dinner done, some time to spare, we sat at the expansive bar and had a second drink each, chatting with Lydia, a bartender who had worked there for over a dozen years.

The Elysian Theater was a short drive and a neighbourhood away.  A small cluster awaited outside,

and I thought it would be a packed show of hundreds.  Alas - for the performers, who deserved more - it wasn't.  The venue is small.  Maybe 120 seats, but that may be overestimating it.  And it wasn't that full.  I didn't count, but I would say that there were 40 of us at the most.  A pity, because it was a fun and kind of dumb (I mean that in a good way) show.

I don't know the star, Séayoncé, at all beyond seeing the show.  British, I gather.  The drag was not RPDR quality - much rougher, less expensive, and that was a very meaty tuck at the end (if we can call it a tuck).  And RPDR quality was not the point.  Look, I have seen some Ru girls live, including at a show that Van and I went to a handful of months ago.  And they can look amazing.  And they lip sync.  And they banter sometimes.  And I still felt I got so much more entertainment last night.

The show featured Séayoncé and an accompanying queen on keyboards (and occasional speaking and other things) doing a non-stop act that involved channeling spirits and helping people face fears and audience participation and singing.  She told me that for the part where the audience, acting as the extras in a production of Titanic, the Musical, I should lip sync because I was an anchor dragging everyone down.  And I hooted.  She sang well, she had so many bad and good puns.  There was a joke about a trio of fake violinists sounding like a sad rollercoaster, like Make a Wish at Disneyland, that had me gaping in disbelief at how savage and funny it was.  And it was stupid, too.  But you know what, they committed for over an hour, and it was so up close and personal.  So good on them, and if you can, go see her.

And then the two old, tired men headed home where Conrad and Olive were still awake.  Next live entertainment to come in a little over a week!

and speaking of Christmas for real...

For the first time since we've known him, Van put lights up outside for Christmas!

In other words, YAY!!! 

yeah, no, sigh

I was hoping for a longer swim this morning, but life gets in the way, and I managed, oh, sixteen or seventeen minutes before having to get myself home and through the shower and out the door and off to campus in time for a meeting.

So I remind myself, it's better than zero.

But not much better.

Ah well.  It's a short workweek, and once Thursday is done, we launch into Christmas for real.

calling on an oldie but goodie

I cooked for a small dinner party last night.  Lessa and Christian came over to join Van and me (Conrad is home from Michigan later today) for a meal, and that meant I got myself into the kitchen.  And I'm not sure what made me think to do this, but I pulled out an old restaurant recipe:  wild rice pudding with caramel sauce.

We used to make this at the restaurant back home in the 90s not infrequently.  It was a tough initial sell to customers (Rice pudding?  Meh!), but if we persuaded them, we had them hooked.  It's actually a Bobby Flay recipe, so credit to that chef/author.  My only change:  I also serve a raspberry coulis since some people (including all the others last night) like the tartness to cut the sweet.  I hadn't had the pudding in years, and here it was again.  And, truly, it was good.  Better still, I have some leftovers to enjoy.

The meal itself was simple.  Honestly.  I stewed rabbit with olives in a sauce thickened with ground, toasted almonds and served some chard on the side. 

I also made a loaf of bread

for swiping up the stew gravy.  Nothing too complicated, but definitely satisfying.

Now on to planning the Thursday dinner!!

the wedding weekend (Peter and Matt)

Here we go, then.  Peter and Matt's wedding.  One week ago today, in Medford.  Gorgeous fall weather, a small crowd of family and friends.

The wedding was held at an Episcopal church in town. 

I should add here that Peter and Matt live in Sacramento, not Medford.  But there are family members in the area, including the uncle who performed the ceremony.

We took our seats, excited for the ceremony. 

I didn't take photos during the ceremony, reasoning that the photographer would make them available to guests through Peter and Matt some day.  Instead, I got to raise my voice in hymn and prayer, shed a tear or two, and smile a whole lot.

There were photographs to be done after the service, and we headed outside to enjoy the last hour of day light.  A couple of the other guests, meanwhile, had taken it upon themselves to decorate Peter and Matt's vehicle, and I couldn't help but take a turn at the silly string. 

It was cute and funny.

The reception was held on the early side, a private room at Dancin' Vineyards. 

Can I just say, we looked good. 

Once inside, the wines flowed freely, and we feasted on pizza slices.  It was easy given the small group (about 30) to get round to different tables and enjoy conversation with a wide range of people.  It came time for the cutting of the cake,

and I love Peter for being adamant about buttercream rather than fondant.  And look at that topper!

I stopped taking any photos after that.  We came back to the hotel with some wine, and folks lingered in the lobby, drinking and talking and laughing.  The grooms, the sister, and a few guests went to a bar after that, but we decided to call it a night after what was an altogether very fine, very sweet, very happy day.