It's fall. The frost is on the pumpkin. I see the local Safeways have finally caught up with me, after five years, and are stocking white pumpkins, my favorite. Selling them for 8 bucks apiece! What is this? London? Anyway, the Chows told me this morning that I do not spend enough time with them and that I work too much. I told them, with great contrition, that I see the error of my ways and to demonstrate how sorry I really am, will fix their favorite lunch. Satisfied that I was set straight, they invited their best friend, Cliffie, for lunch and instructed me to begin preparing grilled cheese sandwiches, as they are quite hungry today, now that the frost is on the pumpkin.
I went to one of my favorite food porn sites, Slashfood, and found quite a dissertation on one of life's most simple but most hedonistic pleasures. Grilled cheese sandwiches: butterfat, fat fat, carbohydrates, salt. Does it get better? except for a nice big broken hunk of chocolate with nuts in it? and of course, an ice cold beer? I even like the summer soltice cheese sandwich, that made with thick slices of stone ground bread slathered with butter and pats of nice yellow cheese, cut in half, wrapped in wax paper and washed down with ice cold lemonade up on the trail. A tasty little brownie completes the round and gets you back to town with your well being high.
Today, I am going to tuck thin, thin slices of black forrest ham between the pieces of cheese, probably a swiss and a mild yellow, sandwich these between pieces of nice, sliced sourdough bread and grill them slowly til perfectly crisp but not, never, soggy with grease. I'll provide a little homemade french dressing on the side for dipping and some nice assorted greens and sliced red tomatoes to soak up more of the dressing. Although the Chows hate that sort of thing, reminding me that they are not, nor have even been, vegetarians.
Thus the grand tradition of expression here at Bellemaison is intact. Happy New Year to all.
JBelle
Bellemaison
The 'Kan EWA
15 comments:
New Year as in Moon Festival?
Many happy culinary returns to you, too, my darling young Schmeebs.
Yum. Makes me want to be a Chow!
as in Jewish New Year. I know it's pretty approximate but then I never claimed to be a good, observant Jew, just one who could feel the pain and loves that song that's sung at sundown on Friday night.
Told ya I'm only as Catholic as one can be having taken instruction from a Jesuit.
hello sheelz,
nice surprise: you. Those Chows. They exact a pretty price and know how to cut a deal. They told me they are going to work really hard on the blog this week.
what, no drink?
crisp, tart lemonade. I got just the right fix on it today. sigh. awesome day. went to the farmers' market and got little purple potatoes, the organic kind, and Brandywine rose tomatoes. They're pink. Also, the tomatoes, can't remember the name, that are red and yellow and look like a Tequila Sunrise when you slice them. Some wonderful pumpkins, nice white ones and a really great shape of an orange one, for whatever kind of phrase that was. also got sweetmeat squash for "pumpkin pie". It makes better pie than pumpkin does.
"They told me they are going to work really hard on the blog this week."
Well I will anxiously be waiting to hear about Halloween preparations at BelleMaison -- I hope they will share all the gorey (?) details! I first discovered your blog around Halloween last year and I was in awe of your Halloween happenings. I thought "this woman is the Martha Stewart of Halloween."
Can you get the Chows to share your recipe for pumpkin soup? I just bet you have one.
If you ever make it over to the Emerald City during October, I must take you to the land of pumpkins at a neat little produce market not far from me. Not only do they have white pumpkins, but they also have some blue-gray pumpkins, some bumpy ones that look like they have pimples or warts, and a few other unique varieties. In fact I may just stop by there on Sunday with my new camera and snap a few pics for you.
I would LOVE that. I have been trying to decide about Halloween this year. I love pumpkins. Love 'em to death. But I feel a little sad because our census here at Bellemaison is low these days. I don't want to get sad by having Halloween. I have to decide soon....
It ain't Halloween season yet, until we pick pumpkins in the field at Seimers, and get lost in the Corn Maze. Would have gone there today, but daughter is sick.
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When will my sandwich be ready? When When When?! Waaaaaaaaaa! I'm salivating over here!
Got some fabulous sun-dried tomato bread at the Farmers' Market yesterday. yowwwwuuuuuza! Made one helluva a sandwich. Didn't use yellow cheese, but mozzie instead for a really great melt; the swiss gave it that salty kick. It was quite fine.
Curt, wow. wow. wow. Deeply moving.
just read about Kol Nidre. Incredibly moving now. What do you think about it? Do you understand the controversy?
I think the melody is exquisitely beautiful and highly appropriate for the occasion. I particularly liked these two women on youtube, the cellist and the conductor. Do we know who they are and what chamber group this was? was it ... recorded in this country?
Told you I was Jewish a little later rather than way earlier. I just connect on a low,low fundamental level with this stuff!
I read all of that and wanted to be sure I wasn't missing something, good little gentile that I am. What sense would it make to release all vows? I think it's curses uttered in haste because it's consistent with the occasion of the holiday. As for the latter, the Christians pointing to the fundamental unworthiness of a Jewish promise, well, it reminds me of the debates on HBO. No basis in rational thought.
I wondered if it was Vienna because of the room. And one final question: do you have to be Jewish to play Kol Nidre like that? my word.
I would LOVE that.
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