finally, fresh cheese

At last, Denver saw it's first snow of the season this morning. At 7 am it was sticking to the grass, but I don't expect it to linger. With an apology to Sharon, I'm very happy that the cold has arrived. The forecast for the next two nights are lows around 18 degrees.

When the temperature dips, I move to listening to sacred works of music. They are heavy and solemn, different from a symphony. The holy masses of Mozart and Beethoven are perfect for gray snowy days. Two in particular, Mozart's Mass in C and Beethoven's Missa Solemnis.

The Idea series continues. I've finished the fourth painting, and I'm very happy with it. For those coming to our house on Sunday, it will be up on the wall available for pre-viewing. I hope to begin preparing the board for number five next week, with the goal of having it completed by December 12th. 

The year-bell will chime 38 times for yours-truly tomorrow. Among other things, November 15th has come to represent blueberries and oysters. Since I began celebrating my birthdays with Sharon (8 years ago), I've been blessed with a tall stack of homemade blueberry pancakes each birthday morning, and then, at the end of the day as the whistle blows, we grab our hats and head to the fish house to join a platter of a dozen or more fresh shucked oysters and one or more ice-glazed martinis. There are few marriages more perfect than oysters and martinis, and there is no better time to drink a martini than on your birthday when the weather has turned cold. This is my idea of a perfect birthday dinner. Sharon opts for the peel-and-eat shrimp and a glass or more of red. 

Tomorrow, I think will be gallery day. We've yet to visit the Museum of Contemporary Art down the road; and there's another relatively new gallery called The Lab that I'm interested in also.

Later, we have reservations for dinner at Il Posto. This is an awesome little Italian restaurant across town, off of 17th. We've eaten there once before with our friends Tom and Cindy. There are no menus. All of the night's offerings are written on two large chalk boards. The menu changes daily and the food is numero uno. Nice wine list too.

Cheese has been on my mind more than usual. I'm going to make ricotta cheese this weekend. If you've never had fresh ricotta, seek it out. It is the only way to fly. Pair it with grilled bread and a tomato jam. Holy-mouth-watering-creation.

I made paneer last week. Paneer is Indian cheese. It's a snap to make. Whole milk, apple cider vinegar, heat. Once it's drained and pressed, I cut it into cubes, flour it, and then fry it in ghee (Indian butter). Then I stir it into a savory spice-laced tomato sauce. Sublime.

We've lots of cooking to do this weekend. Sharon's arranged for family to visit us Sunday afternoon for lunch and birthday cake. We've 8 quarts of minestrone to make, eight sheet pans of focaccia to bake for the panini along with one Italian Cream birthday cake. I'd better go clean my kitchen.

Ode to the oyster

Unwilling Kamikaze

your cover scrapes and catches

in the cold currents

deep and protected

evolution brings to me

delicious, metallic, briny,

soft, glowing. I am

seduced.

your spirit is imagined

and your wet intentions

meet my whet appetite.

Grey and silver mercury folds

sweet and giving

the sea itself.

Have a good weekend, and Godspeed, John Glenn,

Dave