Squeek!

From NEW HAMPSHIRE, no less!

Still reeling from the Women's Day Encyclopedia fiasco, I dipped into a wedding present purchased from L.A. Burdick in Walpole, NH. A box of these great mouse-shaped delights for cat lovers like us.

we unanimously decided that the White mice were the tastiest. They were all eaten before I could take a picture of them.

I want to try the penguins next time.

my unsophisticated palate revealed

Women's Day Encyclopedia of Cookery, Volumes 1 and 2

This set of 12 books has been with me most of my life, on the shelf with Mom's vast collection of cookbooks, and now on mine. It's a useful reference tool and a fun trip into the past. I'm reading through them again somewhat thoroughly and have found some retro gems like Charlotte Russe in the "Cake Cookbook" and a serviceable Sauerbraten recipe in the "Beef Cookbook." I could tell that the Tourtiere recipe was the one Mom always used for Christmas Eve pork pie by the crusty splatters on the page - yum!




However, things really fell apart at the "American Cookbook," where the recipes for the dishes famous in each state are listed along with a short bio. Naturally, New Hampshire gets the culinary shaft. It's true that New Hampshire is not famous for it's native cuisine, but get these:

Old-time Salt-Pork Soup with Dumplings Ugh!
Red Flannel Hash Ok, this is a tasty one that I'm proud of
Fried Tripe Come on, man!
Hashed Turnips mashed with 1/4 cup of bacon drippings. I don't know whether to laugh or cry.


We made out ok on the desserts, with
Cinnamon Raisin Buns, Maple Custard, Blueberry Upside-down Cake and Newton Sugar Squares (whatever they are).

But as bad as the Fried tripe sounds, nothing compares to the raw deal that Arkansas gets. It starts out with yummy fried catfish, broiled trout, braised quails, barbecued spareribs, corn dodgers, ozark and persimmon puddings - they get dashed on the rocks of Roast Opossum with Yams

I couldn't get past the preparation:

Then things get really ugly in the B's when I got to "Brains." This one took my breath away.

Even though I've never been a fan of euphemisms like "he passed away" preferring "he died;" I think I would have felt better about something like "Sweetbread Fritters" in this case.

I'll review Volumes 3 and 4 after I recover.

two more days...

Now that the tent is up, I finally feel like this wedding is actually going to happen. You'll be glad to know that the lion's share of the wedding budget was not taken up with a dress, or the tent, or entertainment (didn't hire any) or a ring (haven't gotten it yet) but the food.

More Chile Photos

These aren't interesting shots of food, just snowy mountains and a crowded swimming pool. We've shopped and cooked all that we can today, marinating chicken and steaming pork ribs and hurling them into the freezer to create more valuable refrigerator real estate. Geoff went to the state liquor store and got several cases of wine - 2003 Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais-Villages, a good red at the right price; and a 2003 Hogue Fume Blanc. Our friend Libby brought over a case of Fat Bastard Chardonnay yesterday - thank you! Everyone seems to be disregarding the "gifts are unnecessary" clause in the invitation. This calls to mind the generous gift of 5 bottles of good olive oil from the Piscataqua Decorative Arts Society (not entirely wedding related), which couldn't have come at a better time.















The mountain got a foot of snow the day we left - people still couldn't stay out of the pool.

other than the altitude sickness and heat stroke...

I had a blast in Chile.


View of the Andes from Valle Nevado

One of the highlights of the trip was a visit to neighboring La Parva, a ski area with interesting terrain and a laid-back attitude. We spent two days skiing there in weather so sunny and warm that any body parts not covered in sunblock risked blistering burns.


La Parva


Drinking cappuccino while waiting for the snow to soften



For lunch we had an excellent cheese fondue flavored with tomato, along with raclette with potatoes and ham, followed by chocolate fondue with fruits, marshmallows (voted most popular) and cookies.







I'll post more images after a good night's sleep.