Just One Last Taste . . .

I should have started this weeks ago, but it only came to mind just the other day. Most foods and beverages that one particularly enjoys will be off limits to me for many months, if not a full year or more. So I decided I need to be very purposefully enjoying my last chance of many savorings; so that there's nothing I will miss in the next few months.

I started Wednesday when out to lunch at Garces Trading Company. I wanted to take take photos of the meal, but felt very awkward about it. I don't know why, I have friends who do it all the time. It seemed distruptive or rude. But in retrospect I should have just subtly positioned my phone above the dishes and snapped away.

One side of the menu had various cheeses listed on the left and on the right was a selection of "charcuterie" which I figured basically means "cured meat." I had no idea what to do and Mom suggested we ask our server for recommendations.
"He doesn't know anything." I replied.
"You don't think?"
"Of course not," I assured. "They're trained to say the words right and then just bullshit about the dish with an air of confidence so as to make the diner trust in what they say."
"Do you really think so?"
"I KNOW so, mom."
Now, don't get me wrong; maybe our server was truly knowledgeable about fromage and queso and charcuterie. But in my experience it's not so much the possession of actual food and beverage knowledge that gets servers through their shift, but the successful portrayance of an illusion of said knowledge. Now this post is sounding all too much like it belongs on that other Blog I used to write. So I'll try to keep this brief.

We started with a very thinly-sliced French sausage and a French semi-soft cheese both of whose names elude me at this time. Come to think of it, they eluded me when I ordered them and probably butchered the pronunciations. They were served on rectangles of slate, at which I remarked to my mother, "Wow, these must be a pain in the ass to clean." A sentiment she felt complelled to echo to our server. Mom had the Vichyssoise and I had The "Italian" Sandwich, which is described as breasola, hot coppa, melted taleggio, arugula and lemon confit. Translated, that means gooey cheese and cured meat on a delicious piece of bread with some greens and a tasty sauce.

I emailed the four members of my family who have had this surgery before me and asked for their "last-minute" advice on what to do/eat, these last few days. The general consensus is "anything and everything." Because tomorrow I will be laying pretty low and fasting even more than is medically required, I figure today is it. Luckily for me, my nephew is having his graduation party tonight (10 years of architecture school! WTG Eric! Drexel Class of 2010!). This is a nephew who, before choosing to study architecture, was seriously considering becoming a chef. So the kid has great tastes. Come to think of it, the party already started. So I need to finish this up. I may or may not add to this as this night goes on, if I can figure out how to post from my phone.

In the mean-time, here a few things of which I've had the sense to get some in the past two days:







And a few more:

Fresh picked wild raspberries:


SAAAASAGE wit onions n peppers. Yup thatsa Philly thing:






Breakfast!


Smores!