Ah..Monday, the day after Sunday! Highlight of the weekend was Joan Curto's Cabaret show at Davenport's on Friday. Went with friends Carla and Allan. She sang the songs of Cole Porter - don't think I would want to be friends with anyone who didn't love the songs of Cole Porter - it would be an irreconcilable, incompatible difference - a dealbreaker! She sang, accompanied by the Chicago treasure Beckie Menzie at the piano, for an absolutely delightful hour. I'll be singing on that same stage in September. And while Joan wore dainty strappy heels, I was very aware of what big footsteps she was leaving on that stage for me and others to fill!
What WASN'T the highlight of the weekend was the weigh-in on Saturday at Weight Watchers. Despite a perfect effort on my part (I was determined to show a good loss), I lost the same as last week, a measly .4 pounds. And sure enough, by Saturday night I felt my resolve slipping on all fronts - tried not to let it get me down but the doubt and disappointment was already spreading under my skin and there was no balm to be had. I ended up having two unauthorized martinis along with several crackers (wheat) and an enormous chocolate-covered strawberry (sugar). By Sunday I had regained my resolve. Scary that it's all so fragile even when you've been at it for over five years! It gives me a hats-off respect for people who battle and master addiction and who get up in front of a room and say, "My name is X, and I've been sober for twenty years. Wow! I will give the weight loss another week.
Did I mention I'm having a party? You're welcome to come if I know you - just reach out to me for details. And if you know me and didn't get an invitation it's probably because I've scratched you off the invite list because you've been invited to parties in the past but never attended one (getting tired of people who won't play with me). My parties are epic by today's standards - I usually throw two a year - one in winter and the other for my birthday. My guests will be greeted with a choice of two special hot drinks - their choice of mulled cider spiked with apricot brandy and whiskey or Irish coffee topped with runny whipped cream, drizzed with creme de menthe. In the kitchen there will be five large pots of soup: chicken matzo ball, Italian wedding, split pea with ham, French onion and also a vegetarian chile. Carmen, my cleaning lady, will be working the kitchen and she will assist guests in ladling up bowls of soups with all the trimmings (the right cheese, matzo balls, croutons, crusty bread). Most years people end up sampling all five of the soups. There will also be a meat and cheese sandwich board with a honey-baked ham and a chafing dish of barbecued turkey.
In the dining room, the buffet will host all the sweets. Over the next week, I'll be starting the baking and I'll make my usual suspects: the better-than-sex chocolate cake, a lemon-pepper ginger pound-like cake, the carrot cake I perfected for Patrick, and from the Swedish bakery I plan to pick up a marzipan-covered white cake and a dozen of the most incredible chocolate eclairs I've ever tasted. The eclairs from the Swedish baker are so delicious I actually considered having a chocolate eclair party where guests ceremonially ate chocolate eclairs. Kidding of course, but they're kind of sacred. And maybe it was my state of mind when I sampled my first Swedish bakery eclair. It was the week after Thanksgiving. I had lapsed with WW because of the holiday - tried my best to take Thanksgiving in my stride but it knocked me from my perch. December loomed and I was determined not to let the slide continue, determined not to make that month a month of excess and regret. It was at that time, tenant Mark mentioned the Wheat Belly book. Fortuitous timing...instead of devouring more leftover stuffing, I devoured that book and geared myself up for wheat abstinence. First though, a detour to the Swedish bakery which was en route to Josh's house. If I was going to give up wheat forever I needed a proper good-bye. I made my choices carefully, a slice of the marzipan covered white cake, a tiny stollen and two chocolate eclairs that I would eat over the next two days. So memorable..it was a perfect send-off.
The cake was great but the eclairs? Oh my. The pastry choux was perfect, crunchy on the outside with a soft and toothsome interior. The vanilla custard filling was ice cold and infused with the best vanilla - probably Tahitian. And not sweet - barely sweetened which made all the other ingredients shine. Spread atop the eclair - a dark chocolate ganache made of fine chocolate that imparted just the right amount of sweetness in each bite - a contrast with the not-sweet pastry and filling. That eclair experience is seared into my brain - I never need to eat another one. No need - I know exactly how they taste. My pleasure will be introducing you to this experience and watching your pleasure. These days my sweets are vicarious.
All for today. Your challenge. Reach out to me if you want to come to the party.
Peace,
Sarah
Oh, and I didn't mention the chair masseur and the live music (Bobby Benson on piano with all my singer friends at the mic!)
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