Good Morning.
My husband would have turned seventy-five this past Monday, August 14th. He passed away in 2012 from esophageal cancer after a year-long fight that involved a grueling chemotherapy regimen with a variety of unpleasant side effects. He never lost his hair, but he couldn't touch, eat, or drink anything cold, he had episodes of being dizzy and sick to his stomach, and he had a funny taste in his mouth from one of the drugs that contained platinum. I got him some lollipops, lots of them. I finished the last one a couple of months ago.
On Monday evening, my stepson sent me a slew of pictures and a couple of videos where I can actually hear Jamie's voice. In one he is mixing me a pre-dinner beverage and in another he is blowing out the candles on his birthday cake. In the third my younger son and I are singing one of those dumb birthday songs that people sing after they sing the regular birthday song. Stephen and I learned this song from a woman, somewhat older than either of us, who made it sound hilarious, but when we sang it, it sounded pretty stupid.
Put another wrinkle in your birthday suit, your birthday suit, your birthday suit
Put another wrinkle in your birthday suit, you're another year older today.
It was not appropriate under the circumstances. At the time of his birthday, Jamie, who had once been built like a brick, albeit with a fair amount of extra mortar, had lost so much weight that his skin seemed almost detached from his bones. He would never be another year older and we knew it, but we tried to make life as normal as possible for as long as possible. We went out for lunch when he was having one of his good days, we played Cribbage and watched re-runs of old TV dramas and a lot of weekend golf, and we took the dog to the dog park. He tended his garden when he wasn't dizzy and had his coffee outside when the weather was nice. The chemo allowed the tumor to shrink enough for several months that he could eat fairly normally when he wasn't green around the gills, but of course he couldn't have cold foods like the ice cream that he loved. His favorite was Fudge Ripple, a flavor that dated to the 1950s. No Cherry Garcia or Chunky Monkey. Fudge Ripple.
He was an excellent cook. He grew his own herbs and had a real flair with them. It is Wednesday so I include a couple of his
recipes for a nice dinner. I somehow managed to resist the urge to rant again about the president, especially in light of his utterly dreadful press conference yesterday. Instead I make a certain point by titling this post with the Hebrew saying, L'Chaim: To Life. Jamie was a devout Episcopalian, but he would agree with me.
Anchovy and Rosemary Leg of Lamb
6 garlic cloves
9 flat anchovy fillets, drained and patted dry
1/4 cup olive oil
2 1/2 tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary
1 6 to 7 pound leg of lamb, all but a thin layer of fat removed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Mince the garlic and anchovies and mash to a paste with a large, heavy knife, then stir together in a bowl with the olive oil and chopped rosemary. Pat the lamb dry and transfer, fat side up, to a rack in a roasting pan. Make several small slits in the meat with a paring knife, then rub the anchovy mixture over the entire surface, pushing into the slits. Cover the lamb and leave it at room temperature for an hour. Place the oven rack in the middle position and preheat to 450 degrees. Sprinkle
the lamb with kosher salt and pepper, then place in the oven. Immediately reduce heat to 400 degrees and roast until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 125 for medium rare, a bit more if you like. This will maybe take 75 minutes but watch that thermometer like a hawk. Let the lamb rest, covered with foil, for 30 minutes before slicing. Serves 6.
Cauliflower Au Gratin with Horseradish
3 lb. cauliflower - 1 head - cut into 2 inch florets
1/2 stick unsalted butter
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole milk
6 oz. sharp cheddar, coarsely grated, about 2 cups
1/2 cup finely chopped green onion
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
20 2 inch square Saltine crackers
2 tbsp. drained, bottled horseradish
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Butter a 2 quart shallow baking dish. Cook the cauliflower florets in boiling, salted water until just tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well and transfer to the baking dish. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a heavy saucepan over moderate heat and whisk in the flour. Cook the roux, whisking, about 2 minutes. Add the milk slowly and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the sauce for several minutes. Remove from the heat and add grated cheese, chopped green onion, salt and pepper. Stir until the cheese is melted. Pour this mixture over the cauliflower and stir carefully to combine. Crumble the crackers coarsely in a bowl. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan, then remove from the heat and stir in the horseradish. Pour over the cracker crumbs and toss to coat. Sprinkle the cauliflower with this topping. Bake until the top is nicely browned, about 10 minutes, but watch carefully. Serves 6.
For dessert, we recommend a big bowl of Fudge Ripple, if you can still find it.
Best regards,
Elisabeth
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