Text 31833, 108 rader
Skriven 2012-12-18 02:12:00 av MICHAEL LOO (1:123/140)
Ärende: xmas party 715
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Mike and Jill's holiday party: Annie opines that Mike is
excessively frugal, but there was no sign of that this day.
It was a very jolly gathering at their little house, and I
knew half the people, which was good. A substantial spread.

Crockpot stuff:

Swedish meatballs were the standard thing, onion cream gravy
drowning prefab factory meatballs, but I was wowed by the
Reuben casserole, which though a molten cheesy glop was
a triumphant combination of creamy/sharp and sweet/salty/sour.
I wouldn't have tried it if Mike hadn't recommended it and
stood by until I did. I ate my sample and later sneaked another
tablespoon when nobody was looking. In fact, the only reason
I wrote about the occasion at all was this dish.

There were some things from the deli, probably Wegmans -
I didn't try any of the mayonnaisey things, but there were
some proteins that I tried and mostly liked:

smoked salmon, the usual, though not too salty;

really rare roast beef tenderloin, surprisingly delicious
though slightly brined;

shrimp cocktail - big smooth Gulf shrimp, a little bland.

Evan Williams products:

Apple Orchard - a weak substance that tasted like spiked spiced
cider with extra sugar and artificial apple flavor. Not my kind
of thing at all.

Honey Reserve - much more pleasant; twice as nice, twice as
alcoholic. Spicy orange on the nose, too sweet on the palate
of course but not cloying, as there seemed to be some acid
to balance. Surprising honey finish.

Beer:

Stella - why bother paying import prices for this stuff, which
is underpowered and reminds one more of Budweiser than one
would prefer?

Sam Lager - I didn't try this, as I know what it tastes like.
If there weren't other things on offer, I would have survived
nicely on it.

Sam Winter Lager - dark amber-red, notes of cinnamon, good
body; not my style, though.

Old Style - that same weird off-taste that PBR offers, the
same lack of body. I might be able to duplicate this with
soda, vodka, and a wintergreen breath mint.

A couple other beverages:

The Domaine Ste. Michelle brut sparkling came out, and I
thought it a clean, reasonably dry, citrusy, perfectly
fine wine, but others turned up their noses at it, looking
forward more to the Cold Duck that someone brought, and I
am not kidding.

Cavit Riesling - a rather sweet, peachy wine, pale in color
and flavor, not bad for that. I pegged it at about a $5 wine,
but it turns out to be about double that. 

Wegmans W diet grapefruit soda - I really liked this. It is
sweetened with aspartame, whose presence I think was masked
by the bitterness of the grapefruit oil.

I drank mostly Jim Beam white in the convenient 1.75 liter size.
One glass of which I adulterated with a cherry out of a batch
that had been soaked for 50 weeks in booze, mostly vodka, putting
me in mind of Lenore's kumquats, though these weren't quice so
savory.

There were numerous sweets, cookies and cakes and such, most
of which I refrained from trying. My own contribution was a bag
of Rocas, which I did eat a couple of. By the time I left, there
were just two or three remaining, so I figure they went over okay.

Reuben casserole
cat: party, buffet, cheesy
yield: 1

6 sl rye bread, cubed
1 lb cn sauerkraut, drained and rinsed
1 lb deli sliced corned beef, cut into strips
3/4 c Russian-style salad dressing
2 c shredded Swiss cheese

Preheat oven to 400F/200C.

Spread bread cubes in the bottom of a 9x13" baking dish.
Spread sauerkraut evenly over the bread cubes, then
layer beef strips over sauerkraut. Pour dressing over all.

Spray aluminum foil with cooking spray and use to cover
baking dish, sprayed side down. Bake 20 min. Remove cover,
sprinkle with cheese, and bake uncovered for another 10 min,
or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

allrecipes.com

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