We were invited by the Souder/Graf’s to join them and a group
of their visiting family members and neighbors.
The theme was Mediterranean/Middle Eastern. We brought a bottle of Brillet Pineau (a
combination of cognac and the fermented wine from which cognac is distilled).
When we walked out to the patio and back yard, we were greeted
by a table filled with an assortment of appetizers, including hummus, Manchego
cheese, pita, crackers, potato chips, artichoke dip, baba ghanoush, tzatziki, almonds, olives, fresh vegetables
and an assortment of beverages. 
After about an hour the grill was heated up and a large
platter filled with shish kebabs was brought out, chicken marinated in a yogurt
sauce and a Turkish beef recipe that Diane and Jim gathered in Istanbul, on a
trip last year to Turkey. Later a
platter of skewers filled with onions and bell peppers came out to be grilled
over open flames.
We each took a skewer of meat and went to the dining table
inside that was filled with interesting dishes that complemented the shish
kebabs, such as couscous and chickpea salad, spanakopita, Tabouli, and chocolate
brownies and baklava.
We sat at one of the tables set in the back yard with Rachel,
Diane and Jims’ daughter, who is attending University of Oregon and is taking a
semester of her junior year abroad at University of Aberdeen in Scotland. The Souder/Grafs are planning to visit Dublin
and Willy on their way to Aberdeen in September, so we talked about Ireland and
Scotland and soon Jim Graf joined us and we shared a discussion of old times
and future times, and he explained how they found the restaurant and the recipe
for beef shish kabab in Istanbul. Jim
and Diane’s other daughter, Emily, is Willy’s age and traveled with him and two
other neighborhood kids who grew up together to urope several years ago.
Jim’s Mom is living with them and Jim’s brothers and their
families were in attendance for a family reunion. I enjoyed helping at the grill and the sumptuous
dinner. I ate so many appetizers, I
became completely filled before I had finished my first skewer of shish kebab. Baklava and brownies were out of the question,
but Diane was sweet and suggested we take a plate of food home for Willy and a
plate of desserts home, which we did.
The evening was lovely, cool and with a clear sky and a half-moon
overhead.
Bon Appétit
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