Celebration or Consolation

The end of election 2020 is here. Your preferred candidate won...or not...or we're still waiting to get the official results. Whichever way the wind blew for you, you will be having a celebration or you will be in need of comforting and consolation. Either way, you'll need this. I sincerely hope that it helps with whatever you find that you need most at this remarkable time in our presidential election process.

Dr. Marion Smith in the kitchen. Pure joy!

For me, one of the biggest and most enjoyable surprises of this year was sitting down to dinner with two friends, Tom and Marion, who prepared three of my blog recipes! How wonderful! This was definitely a celebration, and it honored these sweet friends because they took the time to honor me and my cooking and blogging endeavors. Here's what they prepared and photos of the happy and satisfying evening.

Tom grew up in Florida, so he knows his oranges!

Tom was in charge of the salad with blood orange vinaigrette, and it looked fabulous in the beautiful blue china. Tom and Marion collect china and crystal, so their dinner table is always worthy of a magazine photoshoot. While blood oranges were out of season, Tom made it work with the juicy oranges that were available locally, and our salad chef adapted perfectly.

Marion said to me at the beginning of the evening, "Now we'll see if your recipes are any good," and then he laughed. A genuine laugh and a teasing line like that is so comforting to me. I laughed too. Marion had chosen to prepare my GrecoSoCo version of the Southern classic, Shrimp & Grits. Click the link to look at my recipe. Marion couldn't source the Jimmy Red Corn Grits, but the Edisto Marsh Hen Mill's stone-ground yellow grits were creamy and delicious. And Marion popped a few biscuits in the oven when everything else was almost ready. 

Those biscuits, buttered generously, of course, could have been my dessert, but oh, no, Marion had to prepare what he now calls his new addiction. Take a look at my post for Luxardo-Luscious, which features the famed Luxardo cherries, vanilla ice-cream and orange zest. One of the easiest and most luxurious tasting desserts that I've ever had. 

Friends cooking for friends is such a treat. I hope that our shared joy from Tom & Marion's dinner comforts you just a little during the difficulties of Covid and the disruption of this year's election. Perhaps you will cook the shrimp and grits recipe and share it with one or two friends in your home. May the dish and your friendship bring you as much joy as our dinner did.

Covid Note: We have followed each other throughout this Covid crisis that we're still in, and we are comfortable not wearing masks when it's just us with Tom and Marion. We all still wash hands, we don't hug and we maintain a safe distance. During this critical time, please be cautious and follow all appropriate guidelines. When we entertain inside our home, it's only two people at a time, we sanitize before and after our guests and we sit at a distance from each other. Appetizers are split so there's no cross-contamination with people touching the same food. And, after our travels we quarantine, going only to the grocery store and to work (where everyone works father apart than the required distance).