Serene Vannoy wrote:
> Roasted salmon
> Roasted red potatoes
> Squash soup (pureed this time)
> Salad (lettuce, tomato wedges, dry-cured olives, asiago, olive oil, salt)
>
> You?

Nice menu, but how about some details.

Explain roasted salmon, actually roasted on open flame or do you
really mean baked? How did you season the salmon? Was it whole
salmon, fileted, skinned, salmon steaks?

What kind of squash, summer, winter, type? I don't care for squash
soup, how did you prepare yours, what other ingredients? I like some
summer squash in vegetable soups but in chunks. I prefer winter
squash (acorn, butternut) baked/grilled... I think pureed winter squah
is the same as pureed sweet potatoes, something Gerbers and Beechnut
sells in small jars.

How did you prepare those potatoes, did you peel them entirely/
partially? Did you chunk them, coat with oil, season?

A salad is nice, what kind of lettuce? And why make a point of
mentioning salt, wouldn't there be enough salt from the asagio and dry-
cured olives... dry cured olives are extremely salty, they're packed
in salt. First thing came to mind is where's the black pepper, and
needs some fresh herbs, at least minced parsley, and could benefit
from a bit of onion, and I'd add garlicky croutons.

What was for dessert, and most importantly, how can you celebrate
without drinkipoos?

I did a purely non partisan appetizer that I made a day in advance to
honor both candidates, a delicious watermelon salsa, with Doritos.
Then I polished off a mildly spicy locally made sopressata (so good
I'm ascared to buy more). My main event was cheese ravioli (frozen)
with very garlicky tomato sauce I made from canned whole tomatoes).
The salsa and sauce was a good way to use up some of my parsley before
a freeze gets it (amazing how it just keeps growing no matter the
nightly frosts). My drinky of the night was vodka with pineapple
juice and pomegranate soda (Polar brand).

Watermelon salsa is pretty simple, plenty recipes on the net, you can
follow loosely and improvize as I did. I used half a jalapeno from my
garden (I don't like too much heat), and I used my own curly leaf
parsley (I can't eat cilantro/soap), and I added a small can each of
mandarin orange segments and pineapple chunks.

Not available everywhere but an excellent product.

http://www.polarbev.com/PRODUCTS/Fla...8/Default.aspx