After: Where to Begin

That really was one of the best Chutney Club meets we've had, it's true. I actually think it was the best. Though when David brought out those fruit mince pies at our Merry Chutney Christmas Picnic, I thought I was going to blow a gasket. An excitement gasket! But yesterday's meeting was super special. People went in different directions but it all came together to form beautiful chutney harmony. And I really like what people did with their chutney showcase items. I think that's what really helped tip my mind over the edge, thus rendering it totally blown. I mean don't get me wrong, I can never get enough of bread and cheese. But the homemade rye bread, the little frits, the honey brown butter - that's where yesterday was at for me. I guess that's also because I spent a lot of time thinking about and preparing for my fig jam showcase item. And I'm pretty happy with the result - the pistachio Swiss roll with fig jam and marscapone cream, though I wish it had tasted more pistachioie. But it didn't matter, because I think we all know that the real hero of that dish was the marscapone cream, the remainder of which I just left in Biz's fridge yesterday, like an idiot. I was so full by the time we left, you know? I thought I was doing the right thing. I'm sure I don't need to tell you that I totally wasn't. On the plus side, the fact that I couldn't put marscapone cream on my porridge this morning means that perhaps I haven't undone all the good work I did at the gym on Saturday. Of course, going to the gym more than once would help too. Not just to address Sunday afternoon's adult dose of cream and cheese, but to get to a point where I don't look as red as this guy for 90 minutes after I have stopped exercising.

That would be a pretty big win for me. Meanwhile, I can't wait for tonight's Seder. I feel weird about the fact that I am not bringing food or passover themed crafts. I've really dropped the (matzo) ball (!!) this year. But I plan to compensate by bringing one hell of an appetite! Bam! Not really (well, yes, really), but I am also going to bring wine and have been given the all-clear from your Mum to get regular wine because it is nicer than kosher wine. Hooray! Things I am excited about eating:

• vegetarian chopped liver (all green and oniony and eggy)


• matzo ball soup (always and forever)


• gefilte fish (I like salty fishy things, I don't know why people turn their noses up at it)


• all of the other things that are on the table.

That reminds me of an hilarious joke I once heard:

Q: How can you spot a gefilte fish swimming in the ocean?

A: It has a little piece of carrot on its head.

While I would love to include an adorable picture to support this joke I'm afraid I can't because nowhere on the whole internet (or at least the parts of the internet that take 25 seconds to search) can you find a picture of a fish swimming with a carrot on its head. It seems like a real loss to me. Lets get Chickpea to draw one and put it on the internet tonight! Heh.

Until sundown, Mate.

(Then next year in Jerusalem.)