Gourmet cooking

Seeing all the Thanksgiving turkey dinner recipes this past week makes me realize how spoiled we've been over the years. Never had to cook a holiday dinner. Always go to my cousin's home. Bernie and Susan are perfect hosts.

Bernie was Art Director for Bon Appetit magazine for years. He got to sample a lot of the dishes shown in the magazine. Being creative to begin with, his meals are not only scrumptous, but the presentation is as attractive as anything you'd see in the magazine. We love his Italian sausage dressing! I usually bring my salmon ball appetizer w/crackers.

One of the best foodie things we've ever done is belong to a Gourmet Club. When we were newly married, I joined the American Association of University Women. We had groups of four couples. We'd rotate duty as hosts. The host couple came up with the menu and assigned the various dishes. The hosts usually prepared the entree and provided the drinks. Everyone kept track of their expenses, which we would divide at the end of the evening. Everyone had a copy of the entire menu. I can't imagine any one couple preparing the whole meal. The experience opened us up to a whole new array of ingredients and recipes.

The first year or two were devoted to different countries. It gave us a chance to share my Italian recipes. We made homemade lasagna noodles. One big lesson learned was when I doled out the recipe for "Braciola" or beef rolls. We had to completely rewrap it when the couple got there. My instructions left a lot to be desired. I'm in awe of how quickly Rachael Ray and Emeril turn out their cookbooks.

Two meals that stand out as real winners were China and England. The couple who shared their Chinese ancestor recipes included, Thousand Year Old Egg, Westlake Duck (which they deboned from the inside out), and Winter Melon Soup (which they served in a carved out melon). A Toast to Merry Ole England included Tenderloin of Beef Wellington, Yorkshire pudding (which is now in our repertoire) and Bibb Lettuce Five Crowns style.