Catering a Meal for an Editor

 Margaret, the copy editor/index maker of my new book, Sapo in My Soul--which is available via Amazon.com at the moment but will be available in some bookstores in the next few weeks and can also be bought with a signature from me at paypal to peterg9 At yahoo.com-- is a great copy editor. She finds mistakes I never would have known were mistakes. Fantastic. 

    Well, when it came time to settle up, she said didn't want to get paid this time out. She wanted instead, cloth from Peru and me and Madeleina to make her and a friend a good meal. I think that's coming up this Sunday and I've started preparing in my own way. Naturally, I'll be in alien territory, won't know her stove, how hot the water runs. I'll have to bring a collander, a couple of saute pans, knives, stirring spoons, and every thing for the meal. I already spent $40 just on mangos, limes, red/yellow/orange peppers, organic broccoli/cauliflower/scallions/zucchini/yellow squash, avocados. Veggies alone I need organic tomatoes, onion or two, spaghetti squash, spinach, asparagus and garlic, fingerling or new potatoes, basil and shallots. Then there is olive oil, sesame oil, teriyaki sauce, sesame seeds, butter, organic chicken stock...

   So: What I'm thinking is maybe a little of my jungle guacamole and a smoked cheese or two with dried rye bread crust on the table with a light wine.

   Then a light Caprese salad--fresh smoked mozzarella, those organic tomatoes and basil with good cracked black pepper. Can be served with my house vinagrette--the one we use for salads here--or olive oil if she prefers. 

    Then a small portion of the salmon that I make: Sort of Chinese style, with a few shrimp, with a little the sesame oil and sesame seeds--with the skin almost candied--on a bed of braised spinach. Side of veggie melange: small portion of thin sliced and quartered zucchini, yellow squash, tomato (again?) broccoli, cauliflower par boiled, then sauteed in  a bit of olive oil with bok choy onion and garlic.

     Then a nice prime rib or duck breast, seared/lightly baked, then thin sliced when black and almost raw. If prime rib, that gets seared with scallions, green beans (par boiled) (Both cut in 1/2 inch lengths), and thin sliced (par boiled) new potatoes, with skin on. Pull the meat, add a bit of balsamic vinegar. Serve the meat over a bed of asparagus in pan juice, with the veggies intermixed with the asparagus.

     If I go with duck breast, I'll substitute the beans, scallions and potato slices for pears and mango pieces, still in the balsamic vinegar.

    Then a couple of spoonfuls of peach gelato to clean the palate while they have some more wine.

    Then, since it's her favorite, sea scallops. I would go with the garlic and olive oil, probably with some minced shallots. When seared, bake with a bit of vegetable stock. When pulled from the oven, I'll set them aside, add lime and thin sliced--and halved--red, yellow, orange--peppers to the pan, then add juice of three limes. When that's bubbly, add good bleu cheese, crumbled or cut tiny. Serve the scallops over a tiny hill of spaghetti squash, pour the sauce, with peppers onto that.

    Finish with a small cup of organic blackberries, blueberries, raspberries in fresh cream with a bit of organic sugar and Peruvian vanilla.

    Tell you the truth, I'm exhausted just writing it out.

   Each dish would only be four or five bites, and she would have left overs for a day or two. 

   Sounds good, though, right? Nothing too heavy except the guacamole, but I can't resist getting my hands into the muck a bit.