Jake

Happy Birthday, Abra. We share a birthday, and I'm looking forward to you sharing your week with us. Your berries look delicious!

And those of us reading along for the fun of it - even if I'm not cooking professionally. Chips & mayo-- yummy Never did get the ketchup thing. Edited for crappy spelling.

Rendez-vous with someone different?? Food sounds good, as an eG'er we know you're not the problem, therefore must be the other person.

Japanese five string blue grass banjo player??! I bet there aren't too many of those around. Sounds like you have a very interesting band! The salmon looks wonderful. I love using banana leaves on the bbq, and the foil underneath definitely does help. Thanks for taking the time to blog when you are so busy.

Uhhhhh.... beer? That's what the waitress offered me in Toronto when we went out to breakfast on sautruday morning near the hockey arena. At 8:30 AM no less. She didn't even lead with "Coffee?". Just immdiately asked us if we wanted beers. Foolish me. I just figured that it was the Canadian national breakfast Especially impressive considering one cannot legally serve alcohol in Ontario until 11:00 am. I gather we shouldn't ask what area of Toronto you were in.

Welcome, Vivia! Glad you joined us, and your English is excellent, much better than my Greek. I'm sure Lucy will answer your questions as soon as she returns from vacation.

I love avocados. Other than the obvious Mexican dishes, I use them in salads all the time. They are a fabulous addition to many sandwiches, especially a blt. An avocado vinaigrette goes well with grilled salmon, especially chili spiced salmon. I've done an avocado, corn & onion based salsa and served it with pork. They are also a nice garnish/addition to a shrimp ceviche or salad.

Makes me feel like I'm in Avalon watching some Beastie Boys chase around some Fine Young Cannibals.

Oh this will be a fun week! And to reiterate what everyone else has said, that soup looks delicious. I think I will have to go get a take away for lunch!

You could get take away buffalo wings or have one of the guests pick them up on the way over.

great minds think alike! Gotta love it! This thread had the SO looking at me very strangely late last night. He asked me if I was hungry and couldn't understand why that made me laugh so hard I cried. Totally changed the mood though!

Huh, I LOVE raw apples. But baked, or cooked, or in pie -- BLECH! Can't stand them!

Believe it or not -- "Jake" is a girl. (A girl who knows fried chicken has its place, no less. )

Indeed, sometimes more substantial food is required near the end of the rendezvous.

Yes - part of the agenda one day is docks with achef and another day is a spice market with a chef.. I am really looking forward to this So, should we place our order now of things we want you to bring back? I'm sure Customs would understand once you explained you were from eGullet.

Better luck in the future!

Market, supermarkets, stores etc. Could you shop with a chef? That would be fantastic. And of course, everything everyone has already said.

Cherry flavoured anything. BLECH! Tastes luck the worst fu*&ing cough syrup I've ever had. If it's not a fresh cherry, don't come anywhere near me!

I do these with grape tomatos and basil leaves threaded on small bamboo skewars. Always seem to go fast, and quick and easy. Smoked salmon rosettes with creme fraiche and chives on pump. rounds takes minimal prep work.

Great thread, Monica! I haven't laughed this much in awhile.

Perhaps things you can prep before hand and assemble or cook at the last minute? If you have access to a grill you could do some satays, some asparagus and goat cheese wrapped in proscuitto and grilled, gilled veg with a dip (hummous) etc. fresh salsas are always lovely at this time of year crostini with different toppings could be prepped ahead and would travel well. Good luck

You know, one of those things that's around the house every so often that you get to pick up after and do laundry for!!

That must be nice. Ummm, yeah, sometimes I really enjoy cooking together when he tells me how I should do something, even though it is something HE has never done before! And I especially enjoy it when he decides I'm cooking something at the wrong temperature and turns it up without telling me resulting in lovely burnt food. It's not all bad, but when he's being opinionated....well, let's just say I cook with a lot of wine!

He cooks. Not often, and with a recipe, but he does do it, and does it quite well. (I'm trying to teach him -- more on that another time ) More often, we'll cook together as he says thats the easiest way for him to learn, and he never has to measure ingredients! (I do it by eye most of the time.) Of course, 80% of the time, I do the cooking unless the grill is involved. He is a master and I haven't ordered a steak in a restaurant in a couple years!

Do you know them well? You mentioned amateur cook, if you know their tastes perhaps a cookbook (always welcome in my home), an unusual utensil or something of that nature?