February 2, 2018 Lunch –Lambert’s. Dinner – Sautéed Salmon with Risotto studded with steamed asparagus

February 2, 2018 Lunch –Lambert’s. Dinner – Sautéed Salmon with Risotto studded with steamed asparagus


We woke up and I ate cereal with yogurt, milk, and fresh fruit salad.

Then a bit after 10:00 we went to town.  We walked around and ended at Lambert’s when it opened at 11:30.  We split a bowl of cream of Butternut Squash soup with bits of lump crab meat and garnished with Thai red curry powder, a swirl of cream fraiche and croutons.  I was the best, most creative soup I have tasted in a very long time.

I ordered a Cesar Salad, which was slightly deconstructed.  The sliced pieces of heart of romaine lettuce mixed with pancetta lardons were tossed in a buttermilk dressing.  On the edges of the plate surrounding the pile of dressed lettuce were a half of lemon cut into pointed edges with two white anchovy filets stacked on top.  On the other side of the plate was a thin slice of French baguette that had been drizzled with olive oil and toasted until it became a crouton and beside it was a flat grilled stiffened tuile of Parmesan cheese.  I squeezed lemon juice on the salad.  Then I diced the two anchovy filets. I then began eating the salad and occasionally nibbling a bit of cheese or crouton.  I enjoyed the salad and did not mind having all the usual ingredients mixed together.

Suzette ordered a Chile Relleno stuffed with chicken and Oaxaca cheese and garnished with calabacitas and black beans.  The green Chile sauce was a little hot but she muddled through with a Bohemia beer.

We then went back to Barry’s house and napped until 3:00.

Then I showered and dressed and we drove to the Harwood Museum for the Silent Auction and food and wine. After paying and getting our bidding number, we walked to the gallery where the food and wine were being served. The wines were not great this year and were not chilled before 4:00, when the event started, so we had to start drinking reds.  Also the food was cold and on trays on a long table instead of warm trays of food being served by students.  There were slices of toasted French bread spread with a thin layer of black olive tapenade, a large pile of salmon mousse with slices of French baguette, and a bowl of hummus with a tray piled high with pita wedges on one side and on the other a lovely large platter piled high with vegetables. We ate a few appetizers and drank a glass of wine.  Then Suzette suggested we go look at the art.  When we got Back to the entrance we met Robert Parsons and said hello.  We were standing in front of a medium sized oil painting of a church painted by Arthur Haddock in 1929.  Robert made the first bid of $1,000 and then walked away.  I realized the painting was a good Haddock painting, which fact was confirmed when a Robert made the first bid.  We had drunk some just okay wine and eaten a plate of appetizers and had tentatively decided to leave after looking at the art, but when Robert placed his bid I looked at the “Buy Now”  price and saw it was $2,000.00, which was low price for a good Haddock oil painting that Robert had just confirmed was a good Haddock, I bought the painting for $2,000 an$ we drove back to Barry’s at 5:00.

I am thrilled with the painting.

We decided to sear the salmon and make risotto with pieces of steamed asparagus cooked in and drink a Sauvignon Blanc and a Crayon Cotes Du Provence rose’.

Barry made a delicious risotto with pieces of diced steamed asparagus and then seared the salmon.  The dish was very good with the Crayon Rose’.

After dinner Barry served us a glass of Algodones vodka.