Some vacation that was!

[Jenise]

Six weeks after leaving for Los Angeles and one month to the day from walking into a Los Angeles Emergency Room, I arrived home. I have more convalescing to do, but I'm off all medication. I simply have to keep my leg elevated as much as possible for the near future--even though the infection's gone, it learned this new trick of swelling up rather badly and I can't resume normal activity until it forgets.

Got out of this pretty good, all things considered. That is, things got worse after my last update and I ended up with some new doctors on my team who were planning the surgical removal of what was believed to be necrotic tissue under the black scabs and tablespoon-sized yellow blisters, a procedure that would have been followed by surgical debridement and skin grafts. Absolutely the worst day of all it was, the day I got that news. There hadn't been so much as a hint of that possibility beforehand--I thought I would heal up and that would be that. However, once the scabs were melted away (by honey of all things, a most amazing product from special bees in New Zealand who create one of the world's best antiseptics), the necrotic tissue was not there after all, and MRI's proved that neither were cancer, blood clots or abcesses, all of which were on the table. Two days later they pulled out the IV and the next day we packed up Fritz and started for home.

The original plan had been to tour New Mexico and Utah after visiting friends in Los Angeles and Arizona. Those will have to wait for another time.

That's great news, Jenise! Are you able to get into the kitchen at all or does the need to keep your leg up preclude that?

Glad you're on the mend. That doesn't sound like much of a "vacation" to me.

[Jenise]

Yes and no, Mike. I can walk and I'm not even limping anymore, but there's still pain and the most painful thing is standing still, so as long as I can break any task down into little pieces of short duration I can put together simple meals just fine--and it feels great to be in charge of my own food again.

SOooo happy to read the news ! Was fearful that yet some other complication had occurred. I hope you had some devastatingly tempting food ideas that you are soon to execute, even if piecemeal.

Wow, what a nerve-wracking story. I am so glad you're home and well again, Jenise.

I tell ya, people don't give enough credit to the B-Team. Well done, honey! And listen, if you need more skin for future grafts I've got plenty lying around here you can have. "It puts the tissue in the mail...."

[Robin Garr]

So glad you're home and healing. Jenise! My advice, try not to do that again, okay?

[Jenise]

Was fearful that yet some other complication had occurred. I hope you had some devastatingly tempting food ideas that you are soon to execute, even if piecemeal.

Speaking of food, we went to L.A. to help a friend stage a wine dinner. I can turn this into a food thread by describing that dinner, which I had not done yet. The wine theme was "off-vintage Bordeauxs", meaning any vintage not declared a vintage of the century like 2000, 2003 (in my opinion, a way off vintage, but not Parker's), 2005, 2010, etc.

For the food, borrowing from Annabelle's Chinese background and my bent toward French cooking, we came up with a series of fusion style dishes, including a first course for a pair of white Bordeauxs that we provided where everyone brought reds, making two flights of five each, for the next two courses. While people assembled, they were served appetizers that were tiny pastry cups filled with diced pear, blue cheese, walnuts and baked off with a little custard (Annabelle's dish) and kimchee-laced pot stickers (mine). The white wine course was a seared scallop served atop a green pea wonton ravioli in a tarragon-ginger burre monte. The second course was more like a main course beef or chicken 'pie'--a star-anise flavored daube with puff pastry wedges. And the third course was a 'salad', served last as is traditional in France, of spring rolls consisting of soft lettuce, mizuna and mint wrapped with thin slices of rare roast beef and crumbled Roquefort cheese. These were cut in half and served upright drizzled with a shallot vinaigrette, and were paired on the plate with a 1" thick slice of cold steamed leek drizzled in a Chinese black vinegar vinaigrette and topped with grated egg yolks that had been cured in sugar and salt and then dried over two weeks. For dessert, a classic tart au citron. The scallop/ravioli and roast beef springs roll courses were my creations.

Love that spring roll + leek dish!

How was the kimchee with the wine? Off the top of my head, that seems like a bit of an odd combination (actually, kimchee with any wine seems like an odd combo). Was there only a little kimchee in the potstickers or was it mild enough to not conflict? I do like the idea of the contrast between your potsticker dish and the cheese-walnut-custard one. Two very different little items to compare and contrast with the wine.

[Jenise]

Love that spring roll + leek dish!

It was my favorite of the whole meal. The concept was so surprising to everyone, and the result so refreshing but also suited to the wines.

[Jenise]

How was the kimchee with the wine? Off the top of my head, that seems like a bit of an odd combination .

You're right that it would have been if we'd served those with the Bordeauxs. I erred in not making it clear that the appies were not paired with Bordeaux but pre-dinner food, and just gnoshed with the random whites people brought for pre-tasting wines. The kimchee element, both hot and sour, was pretty strong.

gnoshed

Maybe Gnostics spell it like that but no Jew ever did.

Noshed.

[Robin Garr]

Maybe Gnostics spell it like that but no Jew ever did.

Noshed.

Don't you mean "נושיד" ?

Maybe Gnostics spell it like that but no Jew ever did.

Noshed.

Don't you mean "נושיד" ?

Well, yes, but most of the Yiddish speakers of my acquaintance couldn't write in Hebrew letters. We're talking Old World, here.

You had me worried...

Glad you are back, and hope your remaining symptoms fade soon.

[Jenise]

Jim, thanks; I can be patient!