Text 2553, 84 rader
Skriven 2013-07-20 08:08:00 av MICHAEL LOO (1:123/140)
Ärende: picnic end - IPT 887
============================
We all got up reasonably early - earlier than we had to.
Other people had leftover strata, but I enjoyed tongue
sandwich instead with some of that Wegmans hot pepper
spread.

Dale and Gail and I hung around until the Moosewood
opened - not to torture me, of course, but to get a
replacement mug for one that their son had had and
lost or something, and which wanted replacing because
he was fond of it, being a vegetarian. We said our
goodbyes around lunchtime and motored off there,
picking up a mug off the shelf in no time at all (the
aroma coming from the kitchen was of a huge overdose
of ginger, which might not bother some of you).

Next stop Finger Lakes Beverage to pick up some Ithaca
soft drinks, and then Tops, where Ron had recommended
we get gas. The gas was hugely overpriced to our eyes,
so we ran off. All the way to the border we checked
prices and found them way too high, so we limped into
Pennsylvania, finding a cheap station a few miles inside
the border.

We arrived at Williamsport midafternoon, as advertised,
and I, being peckish, cooked part of a steak that had
been bought special for me. I offered to fix a snack
for anyone who asked, but nobody asked. Or rather,
someone whose name shall not be mentioned said that he
wasn't particularly hungry but would eat something if
it was put in front of him. I took this to mean no, but
Annie, the generous to a fault hostess took it to be a
yes. I allowed the noes to prevail, especially as Columbus
Genoa salami and Harrington's sharp Vermont Cheddar were
available (both fine), and dinner was in just a couple hours.

Robbie showed up around 6 to fix a meal from whose
preparation I was barred, though Annie and Gail were given
some minor prep tasks. Two things to note. Neither Annie
nor Rob tastes as they cook. Next, as Rob had showed up at
his usual time, the meal was made a little hurriedly.

A lamb-okra showed the shortness of the cooking. Annie had
bought a pound of boneless leg, which would have been fine,
but Robbie augmented it with a pound of organic stew meat
and cooked it the appropriate time for boneless leg, which
meant that there were tender bits and tough bits all together.
The okra was from a frozen package, despite fresh being
available at the store, and its texture was a bit snottier
than usual. And it was very subtly seasoned, for which Robbie
had partially allowed by making Gail dice some jalapenos for
garnish, the instructions being to remove the pith and seeds.
I appropriated these to mince with some salt and a sprinkle
of vinegar to make my own high-test hot sauce, which I used
copiously.

Rob's other contribution was shrimp simmered in coconut; this
was nice but also very mild.

Earlier Ann had brought out a book of Caribbean curries and
pointed to one, saying "this looks interesting," which I took
as an instruction to make it. It consisted of eggplant,
tomatoes, and onions with a coconut milk sauce and seemed
pretty decent, though even this required help from one of the
jalapeno heater uppers.

Rice from a machine was as usual perfect.

There had been talk of me making bananas Foster for
dessert, but Ann had a pound cake waiting to be used
(she'd made it from scratch), and a small fraction of
this ended up as a bed for Peachy Paterno ice cream
from the Penn State creamery.

After dinner, Annie picked out the okra from the lamb
curry and quickly ground it in the disposal; she was
about to consign the eggplant-tomato curry to the same
fate, but I prevented her from doing that; I snacked
on that leftover for the next three days. The lamb and
the shrimp remain there orphaned in the fridge; their
days are probably numbered.

___ Blue Wave/386 v2.30
--- Platinum Xpress/Win/WINServer v3.0pr5
 * Origin: Fidonet Since 1991 Join Us: www.DocsPlace.org (1:123/140)