Modo Mio Dinner With The Ladies

I couldn't possibly leave Philadelphia without a last visit to Modo Mio, which I think is perhaps the restaurant to which I returned over and over again during my time in the city. Well, outside of McCrossens and other neighborhood bars. My companions for this meal were entirely fitting and some of my favorites: LW, CPM and L. L. and I discussed a few weeks beforehand my growing worry about actually being able to productively pack up all my stuff...and she was generous enough to offer me her assistance and oversight, which truly was invaluable. But also, it was just important to get to see L. one last time since I wasn't able to make it up to Brooklyn before my departure. So on a Friday about two weeks back we first gathered at my apartment and enjoyed some prosecco before heading out into the cold night for a most epic and lovely of meals. We were seated at the same table as my birthday dinner and our server for the night was one of my favorites...even though I haven't been able to make it to Modo Mio as much in this last year as I did in the years prior, she immediately recognized me/us and that is always a very gratifying experience. I shared my plans with her - re: my imminent departure from the city and plan to travel across the country for a new adventure, and she made the meal quite the send off. So much lovely food. So much lovely company. Just lovely, lovely, lovely. So what did we eat? Well, this first dish was L.'s and was a taleggio cheese, mushroom and maybe balsamic antiapasti...so oozey.

Then we were gifted the appetizer of the day, which I kind of totally forget the ingredients of, but thoroughly enjoyed.

I chose the mussels, white and spicy and was entirely happy with them. The thick crusty bread they provide at the beginning of the meal was perfect for soaking up the delectable broth once most of the mussels were properly consumed.

This, too, is a bit of a mystery to me...I think it may have been another of the specials of the evening, and alas I cannot tell you exactly what it was about...maybe roasted pig of some kind?

Now, years back when KH was in town, I took her to Modo Mio to show off how freakin' good it was. On that particular night, our server strongly encouraged us to try the night's special pasta, which was a delectable and unforgettable raviolo. Since that evening every single time I've gone to Modo Mio, a little part of me has held out the hope that the raviolo will appear again...and while so many other wonderful meals have certainly been enjoyed, it was not until this final Modo Mio meal that the raviolo made its second appearance in my life. I think perhaps its accoutrements weren't entirely identical to that dish that lodged itself in my brain in 2011, but it was awfully darn close and just as satisfying.

I don't know if this would strike someone else as tasty-looking or disgusting, but to me this screams 'I am luscious and delicious!' so I'm sorry if it screams something else at you.

I think that CPM had veal with mushrooms and eggs...

And in another kismet-ic move, the special of the evening was also almost tailor made for my culinary proclivities. Creamy polenta topped not only with pork tenderloin but a soft shell crab as well, ll in a caper tomato sauce so fresh and popping with all things right in the world.

Our server also hooked us up with additional sides. The chickpeas with greens were slightly bitter in an 'on purpose' kind of way ad the roasted brussels sprouts with perhaps leeks were just straight up good to consume.

I'm honestly not entirely sure what this is...maybe L.'s duck.

Another angle of my dish.

Then we split the array of desserts that our server brought us. All so good. So. So. good.

While this, sadly, is not the most flattering of photographs of me ever taken...my expression is entirely accurate, as variations of that face could be seen from the initial introduction to the specials all the way through dessert and coffee.

Thanks to LW for having the common sense to take photographs of people...I managed not to get a single photo of the four of us together and I regret it. Such wonderful ladies with whom to spend one of my last weekend evenings on the east coast!

Mushroom and Radish Treats Along With Chili, Sunchokes, Beans and Rice

It has been a bit of time since I last saw M&A. In fact, the last time I saw them they were unmarried and now they are entirely married! In any case it was good to see them and I did enjoy the meal they made when I came up to see them a few weekends back. These mushroom tops with boursin are so unbelievably simple to make, and yet make such satisfying appetizers.

Also, buttered radishes.

I hadn't really known much about sunchokes. I've had them in the past, but I would have been incredibly hard pressed to describe them to anyone. Now I am slightly better prepared for the task. Let's see. They have the basic 'look' of a potato or turnip, and perhaps a bit of the texture of an incredibly tender turnip. But their taste also has a definite artichoke heart quality to it. A. also did much of the planning and making of chili, which was good too. And gluten-free cornbread as well, though there was some confusion as to what ingredients were needed to be added to it, which ended in a perhaps less than ideal texture.

A lovely meal that ended with a round of Catan, because of course it did.

Christmas Eve in Tennessee

This holiday seasonwas like many before it, as far as the fact that I had lots of work to do. After a few years going elsewhere for the holiday, Dad and I decided to do it in Sewanee this year. I flew down Monday night and flew back Thursday, so it was very whirlwind and didn't allow for a lot of socialization. On Christmas Eve, we did have a thing. Cousin H. and his wife C. came by with the fixins for egg nog, the family recipe for which hasn't changed much in quite some time. I tried to take good photographs, but really didn't succeed much. Here are most of the relevant ingredients: sugar, egg whites, egg yolk, rum and bourbon...missing is the...

Whipped cream, to which I believe the liquor is being added? Though H. was quite good at giving me the step-by-step directions at the time, I didn't write them down. I know you need four bowls: three to mix the different ingredients (one for cream, one for egg whites, one for egg yolks, and one for serving) but where the sugar goes is, alas, lost to my brain at the moment.

Et voila, folding it all together into a magic, thick, peaked, wonderland of booze and sugar and glory. A.M.P and her son also joined us, as did C.'s son...but really there was a lot more nog than there were people to drink it.

I did my part by having three glasses. So thick. You could really consume it with a spoon as easily as you could sip it.

These two refused to have a decent photo of themselves be taken.

The house's architecture and relatively unique features are always slightly more impressive when the drapes aren't closed...but in the winter, it's also a much, much colder house when the drapes are open.

Cousin H. also brought a lovely selection of veggies, which he roasted in the kitchen. Asparagus, potatoes, parsnips, and carrots. Good stuff.

And Dad roasted a local leg of lamb, which turned out nice and pink...but not scarily so.

AMP contributed green beans and ham. Altogether a lovely meal.

Oh and AMP also brought flan.

Bachelorette Night in Columbus

As is often the case in my life, now is quite a busy work time. This results in a further slacking off in blogging, not to mention a very bad case of the 'I will not respond to your emails or phone calls in any semblance of a quick turnaround time.' So even though it's mid-September, I must still share with you some photos from K.'s late August bachelorette shin dig, which I organized (well partially organized) with a lot of help from Cuz K.'s friends A. and S. The night began in at Columbus's newest Hilton, which I must say was quite fancy. There was a little problem at check-in, which resulted in a different room that originally planned, but also resulted in the staff knowing that we were a bachelorette type deal, which resulted in a complimentary bottle of champagne being sent to K. So the evening began in part with some toasts.

I asked Cuz K.'s friend to do a fancy braid in my hair and she did a great job. You can't quite see it here...

But you can here. I wish I could do such things. It was so even and flat and perfect I refused to take it out for days afterward.

We started our evening at Camelot Cellars. I spent the morning before the event running around and picking up supplies, and this included a run to get a slew of fancy cheeses. A. also made a delightful veggie plate.

Veggies!

And then everyone arrived.

Gifts were given. Note the kid in the background of this photo. He later came inside with his friend because they recognized one of Cuz K.'s friends as their former middle school teachers. It was very awkward for the grown women, but I think the kids were high so they didn't really care.

I printed out a 'bachelorette scavenger hunt' list, which mainly asked for photographic evidence of a slew of silly things. One of which was, take photograph with other bachelorette. Done.

So basically K. got a whole heck of a lot of lingerie and a few other boudoir-oriented gifts.

And her photograph taken with a teenage nuisance.

The next stage of the evening took place at Mickey's. The remainder of the evening was predominantly focused on karaoke and crossing other things off the scavenger list.

This was the bride getting a dude to let her write her name on him in permanent marker.

This was J. hugging a tree. Check!

This was S. getting her photo taken with a guy with weird hair. I think it's up for debate whether this was really an instance of weird hair.

I believe L. had to ask this guy whether he was wearing boxers or briefs. I believe boxers.

Of course there was much singing.

And a little shimmying.

The end of the night found us going back to the hotel and falling into bed. The next day it was agreed that it had been a successful evening in which plenty of fun things happened and really no disasters. Best of the bachelorette experience:)