VittlesVamp

Dinner Party Healing

On the work front, the past month has been a crazy, crisis communications whirligig. It has been relentless. My days and nights have had me walking a precarious tightrope - an effort that demanded energy, unwavering attention and an unfortunate lack of sleep. And, yes, I was trying to balance on that tightrope while still recovering from ankle surgery. I literally was trying to regain my foothold.

So, what did I do in the midst of the madness to settle my nerves and feed my soul?

Feed my friends.

Last weekend, I hosted a dinner party for eight hungry pals who helped in the kitchen and raised a glass (or two) as we enjoyed cheeses aplenty at the cocktail hour, followed by Scallop Crudo, and then plates of perfectly al dente Rigatoni alla Norma.

Guests brought bottles of precious wines and a glorious kombucha to accompany.

With plates cleared, Dried Apricots were passed as a palate cleanser before a duo of desserts. We started with generous slices of my tender Olive Oil Cake served with fresh raspberries doused in orange blossom water. Next, we dived into some gourmet chocolates fetched from the Tin Building by one of my friends and some homemade Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies baked by yet another one of my guests.

It was utterly decadent.

It was truly healing.

Did I still need sleep? Absolutely. But until time for rest was available, I had friends and leftover chocolate. A damn fine combination, if ever there was.

Peru By Way Of Queens

Back in October I interviewed wine merchant–turned–archaeologist and art historian Robert C. Bradley, talking about his book "Eating Peru." Ever since, I have been daydreaming about a trip to Peru - not necessarily to visit Macchu Picchu or the gourmand hot spots in Lima, but to get a taste of the real Peru. Robert made the everyday sound exceptional - visiting coastal seafood shacks to dine on fish that had just been swimming in the ocean. And, from the sounds of it, there are lesser known archaeological sites that I should be checking out.

Will I get there this year? Not sure. Still in physical therapy, post-ankle surgery. But even in a cumbersome aircast, I was able to make it to Queens for a preview of some Peruvian delights - visiting Jora in Long Island City.

First up was a lipsmacking ceviche topped with kernels of choclo corn from the Andes and crunchy corn nuts, known as cancha.

Mind you, the fish hadn't been swimming just moments ago in the East River - alongside Jimmy Hoffa's remains, perhaps? - but that was okay by me. It was an undeniably gorgeous dish. And, continuing the coastal theme, we dove into Arroz con Mariscos that made us swoon...

That shrimp was a beauty, but damn if those rings of squid weren't perfectly tender, as were the scallops, clams and mussels.

We went to the red meat on the menu to finish things off right...

What, pray tell, is this? It is Lomo Saltado, an umami-packed dish if ever there was. Chunks of sirloin sauteed with onions and tomatoes in soy sauce, topped with a mound of French fries and finished off with a few leaves for greenery.

Did I mention that this is packed with umami?

Oh, mami!

Going to keep on keeping on with my daily exercises and physical therapy. I will get to Peru. That's a promise.