...Cooking for a Gourmet...

We had an interesting pair of neighbors.

The H was a wonderful, generous, and kind man. (Not gonna describe the wife...we often tangled) I would let him take my motorcycle for the weekend quite often. (Not sure why I bought a motorcycle....my mind was in a place that it sometimes goes. I was thinking..."OK, gonna ride a REALLY POWERED BICYCLE on the Freeways...what could POSSIBLY go wrong??? Freeways seemed to be safe, but riding in town was dangerous. Riding in the foothills was fun

) Anyway....
He was a chemist and an official 'TASTER' for a very famous wine making company. Dining with him was an experience. He would describe each dish, and point out tastes that I simply COULD NOT SENSE!!!! I guess it would be like describing a symphony to a partially deaf person. I would chew, listening to what he was describing, he would call out terms, flavors, textures, and I would just nod...and KEEP CHEWING!!!! I had NO PERCEPTION of just what he was describing.
My H invited them over for dinner, and asked me what I could prepare that they would enjoy. I thought a moment, and said, "How about my cioppino?" He smiled, and agreed. I didn't make it very often, it was expensive, and we were on a budget, but it was very tasty. My H said that he and the man would be away the day of the dinner, but would be back at 6:00 pm. I nodded, and said, "OK, I will prepare the meal, set the table, and such".
That day, he left with the man, and I told the wife that I didn't need any help. I did prepare the cioppino, but did so on that back porch, so there was no smell in the house. I greeted everyone around 6:00, and I looked elegant, I had done my hair and makeup very nice, and the table was set for four with our nice china. I had decantered a nice red wine, and poured everyone a glass, and said, "OK, let us eat". I then bought out a platter...and
...dropped a boiled hot dog, a boiled turnip, and two slices of white bread on their plates...
I sat down, and began carving up my hot dog, smiling...and asking, "Anyone want mustard?"
My H and the man's wife started to boil over, but the man had a wonderful sense of humor. He tasted the hot dog, and said, "No this earthen taste, with the complex taste of the East, needs no additive." I dipped my hot dog in mustard, and said, "I disagree, the hot dog has a spoiled taste, like a piece of chicken that has been left out in the sun, the mustard covers it up". We commented on the turnip, in a similar manner, and my H and the other W were silent, but getting angry. I figured that the joke had gone on long enough. So I started laughing, I stood, and picked up the plates...the man pretended to protest...taking another piece of the hot dog.
I placed nice bowls in front of everyone, and then ladled cioppino into each one, and added a nice chunk of sourdough bread...
My H did ORDER ME...later that evening...to not play such jokes...again...

I DISOBEYED...a number of times...

Probably one of the reasons he divorced me...
