The Trial Run

When discussing food or cooking in general, the conversation and focus of attention is usually on the food itself – it’s taste and presentation – as it rightly should be. But there is another extraordinary side to any good meal, particularly one that involves multiple courses or, even more remarkably, one that has to be prepared in one place then transported and finished in another. When hosting a large event, especially one that has been ongoing for almost a decade, people tend to come hungry and with certain preconceived notions about how it’s all going to look, feel and taste. Newcomers have heard the stories, like “Oh you should have been here two years and tried the …” or even more flattering “We’re still raving about last year when you cooked…”. That’s why you do it, why you put the effort into it, why you foot the bill. Throwing it all together at the last minute would be unthinkable. More than your own reputation is at stake, you have the expectations of your friends to live up to. Being barely successful would equal failure. The only option is to consistently, year in and year out, raise the bar. In the end, it all comes down to logistics and timing.

Random Seasonings – April 11th, 2009

More serious posts are forthcoming, but for tonight, here are a few random thoughts.

Spring is finally here – sort of. In spite of the fact that the first week of April brought 2 days of snow flurries, it seems everyone is starting to come out of hibernation. The crowd at the food shoppes around town have started to pick up, the restaurant patios have been set for the season, and the opening week crowd at Keeneland certainly drove hungry race enthusiasts to enjoy everything Lexington has to offer. The Farmer’s Market opened yesterday. As for me, I have more or less recovered from hosting two dinner parties in a span of fourteen days and am now throwing myself whole heartily into the final month of prep work for the High Hope Steeplechase. Excursions and culinary adventures will now pick up speed and frequency, as this weekend surely demonstrated.