Birthday Bliss-out

I had such a wonderful birthday this year. The Naughty Tea Ladies sent me an e-card from Rubber Chicken cards, that made me laugh first thing in the morning. They sent me The Psychic: Cumpleaños - "La Psichica" (for some reason the title comes up in Spanish)--hilarious. Peter made me a wonderful dinner and we had a small group of friends over. I'm trying to get over my FEAR OF DINNER PARTIES. Not that I'm afraid to go to them, but I am nervous about giving them. I don't know why I'm nervous about playing the role of hostess, but I guess it's just a kind of shyness I have to work at overcoming. I love introducing people though, and watching the connections unfold. We ended up having a wonderful conversation about the German/Russian diaspora, because of our family histories via Chile, Northern Manitoba, Lars, Stuttgart, Saskatchewan, and the Ukraine. It made me curious about the relationship between my grandfather who left Germany in the thirties and his brother who stayed.

We had Peter's crab soup which is made by pouring hot corn stock over fresh crab meat. Now I know corn is the root of all evil (long story), and I've really lost my taste for it, but this is one case for corn. (Polenta is good too.) The day before the party Peter hauled his butt down to the Lobster man and brought back a couple of buddies on the bus. He dispatched them, cooked them and cleaned out the meat.

We also had Chevrette and figs on crackers, crab risotto, sautéed oyster mushrooms, peppers jalfrezi and fresh bread. Our friends brought a lovely soy bean salad, filled meat buns (very much like mini kolachy), and a porn star dessert. Everything was delicious. Okay, but my faux pas as a hostess was that I didn't ask if there were any allergies to crab and that two couples don't eat meat. Anyway, everyone had enough to eat, I think, and all were very gracious. Also, if you do have an allergy please REMIND your hostess, because I get people's allergies or aversions mixed up--the crab, hazelnut, salmon, gooeyduck allergies which all are all food we frequently serve (well, maybe not the gooeyduck). Since we're on the subject, I don't like offal, blood sausage, brain cheese, or anything with toenails on it. I grew up in the prairies in a farming community, with hearty omnivore traditions, so you're pretty safe to invite me over for dinner anytime! Peter is lactose intolerant to some degree, and our son is picky, but not allergic to anything we know of.

I made up some crackers for a cheese course with Beddis Blue from Saltspring--a lovely barnyardy cheese and honeycomb from the Nicola Valley. Then we presented the hilarious porn star strawberry tarts which made at least one of our guests squirm with delight, and the kids devoured them.

I received some lovely gifts: flowers from the Leaf Seamstress's garden, a flirty bag and some quail eggs from Silly Lily, and a precious handmade cookbook from Loiszing. Lovecrafts!

P.S. We drank Prosecco di Valdobiadene, and Lang Gewurtz, 2006 (nice glycerous rose finish).