three meals out
Feb. 21st, 2010 11:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
calimac1. To the Santa Cruz beach boardwalk for the Clam Chowder Cook-off. At booths at the entrances you buy an $8 tasting kit: five tickets to be offered to vendors of your choice, a small cup and spoon to eat the samples with, napkins, and a "people's choice" ballot token. Sounds simple, no? In sooth, the soups were good, but the boardwalk was a madhouse. People walking through, people trying to line up for the popular vendors, people trying to find a place to stand to sup in peace, swarmed about.
I had twelve small cups in toto, about one large bowlful's worth, I expect, and that accounted for only a few of the vendors. A couple were rich and creamy; most were soupier but with body. Variety of mix of ingredients, but the most striking variety was in the seasonings. I had one I'm convinced was principally seasoned with beer; an unexpectedly spicy chowder came from the most geographically outré vendor, a bar from Modesto. My "people's choice" ballot went to a plain but rich chowder with the most generous and chewiest clams.
2. To B's brother's house to greet their visiting cousin, the author of small-press novels of anthropological speculation, much better than Dan Brown, would that were a greater compliment than it is. All three couples had a cheerful, wine-fueled evening at a local Italian eatery. Recommended Le Guin's Always Coming Home and Tim Powers to the writer; thought they'd be up his alley. On his learning that I'm a fantasy reader, I warned him that I'm a picky one, but when he eagerly asked if I liked Donaldson? Robert Jordan? my facial expressions must have given me away. So what do I like among contemporary authors? "Le Guin Patricia McKillip Robin McKinley Peter Beagle Neil Gaiman Tim Powers" I answered all in one breath.
3. And my brother was in town briefly on business duties. Ventured over for tripartate meeting with mother. At favorite seafood restaurant, dined on landfood instead, retold each other well-familiar old jokes.
I had twelve small cups in toto, about one large bowlful's worth, I expect, and that accounted for only a few of the vendors. A couple were rich and creamy; most were soupier but with body. Variety of mix of ingredients, but the most striking variety was in the seasonings. I had one I'm convinced was principally seasoned with beer; an unexpectedly spicy chowder came from the most geographically outré vendor, a bar from Modesto. My "people's choice" ballot went to a plain but rich chowder with the most generous and chewiest clams.
2. To B's brother's house to greet their visiting cousin, the author of small-press novels of anthropological speculation, much better than Dan Brown, would that were a greater compliment than it is. All three couples had a cheerful, wine-fueled evening at a local Italian eatery. Recommended Le Guin's Always Coming Home and Tim Powers to the writer; thought they'd be up his alley. On his learning that I'm a fantasy reader, I warned him that I'm a picky one, but when he eagerly asked if I liked Donaldson? Robert Jordan? my facial expressions must have given me away. So what do I like among contemporary authors? "Le Guin Patricia McKillip Robin McKinley Peter Beagle Neil Gaiman Tim Powers" I answered all in one breath.
3. And my brother was in town briefly on business duties. Ventured over for tripartate meeting with mother. At favorite seafood restaurant, dined on landfood instead, retold each other well-familiar old jokes.
