This-n-That

The secret language of knees

Thanks for the kind wishes and inquiries (thank you, Lou!) - the knee recovery is progressing nicely. After an X-ray revealed nothing 'visibly' wrong, I procured a knee brace and have attempted to resume some semblance of normality until we see how things shake out.

Today, I drove the 80 miles to the office (it's my driving knee) and walked hallways and climbed stairs, as per usual. And it's not too bad.

However, when it's 90 degrees out with 80-90% humidity, a rubberized brace worn on your leg, under your jeans, has its breaking point. Especially since our company has gone "green" and turned the air conditioning down to only "slightly sweaty."

By the time I left for home, I couldn't get the brace off fast enough before jumping into the car.

As Scarlett O'Hara said, "tomorrow's another day."

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Cooking for the veggie people

Our lovely friends from Manhattan, Sandy and Allan, came for a visit over the weekend and I was challenged with having to create my first vegetarian menu in years.

Now, keep in mind that I am a corn-fed boy from the great American midwest. I'm such a carnivore that I consider steak to be a condiment.

Once, when we lived in California, I actually had to host a brunch that included vegans. By the time I delivered my non-dairy, egg-free quiche to the table, I was literally crying into my eighth glass of wine.

There is no excuse known to man for making any dish that involves non-dairy creamer.

Fortunately, our Gothamite friends are not of the vegan bent. That saved my sanity enough that I was still sober when they arrived.

But, like Sherlock Holmes, I rose to the challenge and proclaimed the game to be afoot!

The menu included:

• Chilled cucumber and Greek yogurt soup - seasoned with mint and dill from the garden
  
• Israeli cous-cous salad with lemon juice, olive oil, lemon zest, mint and sunflower seeds
• A 3-bean salad (cannellini, kidney and garbanzo) in an olive oil, cider vinegar and mustard vinaigrette - with chopped radishes and seasoned with fresh chives and summer savory from the garden.
• Diced, roasted summer squashes, Japanese eggplant and banana peppers in a balsamic vinaigrette
  and...
  
• Fresh corn and roasted red peppers sauteed in olive oil.

All in all, it was a lovely meal and our friends were quite impressed. "We would have been happy with a pasta salad," they said.

No slacker, I.

Allan provided the most delightful surprise of the evening, however, when he produced a bottle of 2003 Duckhorn Cabernet, Three Palms that he had received from a friend of his. Easily a $95 bottle of wine.

We dined on the front porch, enjoying the moonlight and the soft summer breezes, and sipping a wine that was lush, fragrant and soft as velvet as it passed the palate. A wonderful experience.

Ahhh - life.

The following morning, we dined at our favorite Italian trattoria on the waterfront. We captured the moment in photographs, although Sandy had a little trouble with keeping her eyes open when our waitress Christa was taking the photo - so she needed a little help from yours truly.



Have a great week, everyone!!