words, food, friends

 Yesterday was our long-awaited annual writing group meeting up at Sarah's delightful home in Napa. The weather was perfect and the food OUTSTANDING. We read, we talked, we ate too much and really, it was a perfect day in every way. Driving home we said the overused word (that we often sneer at) "blessed" because we are, indeed we are. 

the dessert, the family

OK, here is the final Napa report. Not great pix, but you get the idea. The
dessert tray included that custard with exploding rock candies on the bottom,
little round donut wholes, marshmallow on graham cracker, dipping sauces
and 40 pounds of sugar. The family from the left: Lauren, Scott, Ceci,
Nancy, Husbando and your Blogger. Morimoto's went all out for us...

Napa redux

not the River Seine

Morimoto - river side of two entrances

g. dot Lauren at Red Chicken Cantina

Morimoto salad with calamari and crab legs down the way

You can see that the weather was not spectacular, but that's OK, it is winter.
One of the nicest things about Morimoto was the comfy chairs - roomy,
(with arms) and that is how we could sit for four hours eating all sorts of
strange and wonderful foods. It was a bustling atmosphere and great fun
to watch all the servers, cooks and customers. They all love g. dot Ceci
and she was in her glory. I will present the dessert tray tomorrow...

Morimoto Napa

Sushi for six - after many, many appetizers. We had a marvelous experience and more photos tomorrow. Thanks to grand daughters for picking up the tab! This is my first iPhone post.

Home later today...

a little grey in Napa

Herre I am back on the mini iPad, sitting in the rather nice cafe at the

Best Western. Someone requested that they turn off FOX News, so

I turned my chair back around and will watch Real News. I have my

coffee, the husband didn't sleep all that well (how do you say under-

statement in French?) and I will spend an hour or so here and let him

sleep. We had a nice yesterday - lunch at The Pear on the River Napa

and dinner at the Red Hen Mexican Restaurant, right across from this

motel. Convenient and not bad. It was misty most of the day, but not

worth an umbrella. 

Nancy isn't feeling up to snuff (cold?) but we hope she will be better

today. Her husband Scott is fine and Lauren (Ceci's sister) is a

delight and for sure we all gather for dinner at the classy restaurant

where Ceci works. We passed it yesterday and they let us snoop

around because we are the honored grand parents. 

The photo is of the Best Western cafe which we can't enjoy due to

winter weather. But pretty.

scenes from a night in Napa

Three tables alone for desserts - yum!

Many tables, all with white cloths

Full moon over red paper lantern lights

A cabbage goat stands on one of the many food tables

Thanks to the Great Plotniks for driving!

Barn dancing under lights

It was a very special time last night and my, all that delicious food. This is
a pot luck like no other because all the chefs in the wine country attend and
bring their best.  Maybe 300 people in this glorious setting? Every detail
remembered including regular and decaf coffee. Truly, a night to remember.
And yes, we stayed for the dancing. Again, so nice of the Plotniks to taxi us!

we've been to a marvelous party

our salad "won" 1st place and was devoured

a few of the many tables of drinks

a few of the many tables for diners

lots of food, lots of happiness

food tables after dinner

one of the 3 (or 4 ?) dessert tables

Barb and Doug

Hostess Chef P (Sarah) and Doug

a few of the miles of lights

Every two years Chef P and Sam throw a huge party for 500 of their
closest friends and with my wonderful new schedule we were able to
go last night. Sam has a home, vineyard, gardens, barn, imagination
and many, many friends who can cook. Thanks to Doug and Barb we
didn't have to drive and could enjoy ourselves as we walked around
this beautiful land in the country. It was magical, especially after the
sun went down and all the lamps and lights came on. It has to be the
party of the century, at least for us. What an undertaking, we were
overwhelmed. As you know by now, I get a tad testy and nervous when
we entertain for six or more friends, so this is spectacular indeed.

Chef P said the secret to her fabulous macaroni was "artisan cheeses"
and everyone rushed to scoop that up before it disappeared. Doug and
Barb's tomato and watermelon (!) salad was outstanding and there was some
beef brisket on top of potatoes that was worth writing about. Then a
bucket of KFC chicken (artisan?) to amuse us, but no leftovers there either.

Special thanks to The Great Plotniks for driving us, once again. I'm sorry
I didn't get a photo of Sam, but he does appear in Tiapos party and
Passover pics in this very blog. Oh, how nice to carry the little iPhone
for photos, I had a bulky camera and left it in the car, on purpose.