The monthly e-newsletter of the venerable James Beard Foundation included the following informative food note on “eggnog.” The blurb was particularly interesting thanks to the dish–foie gras frothed with eggnog foam–that chef Pascal Chureau, of Portland’s Lucier restaurant, will serve this evening at the Beard House during his “Northwest Passage to Modern Europe” dinner. View the complete menu here.  

Lait de Poule

WHAT? Which came first: the chicken or the eggnog? Although lait de poule translates, unappetizingly, as “chicken milk,” it’s actually the French name for eggnog, that seemingly harmless beverage that has been known to lure many naïve merrymakers into making fools of themselves at office holiday parties. Though eggnog is said to owe its heritage to posset, an English drink popular among early American colonists, food writer Robert Sietsema points out that the “aggressively luxurious” egg-and-cream-filled drink is infinitely more French in character and may in fact be an American version of an 18th-century French recipe. This month at the Beard House, Pascal Chureau of Lucier in Portland, Oregon, validates this theory by serving a froth of lait de poule with the ultimate French dish, foie gras.

Since our recent condo crisis (see my post of July 10 for details), friends from around the country have been sending me Internet jokes in an effort to cheer me up (thanks to all of you!).

Here’s one from my buddy Laurie Halladay in Sarasota, Florida, that will resonate with wine drinkers of a certain age. Although, I must admit, it isn’t too far afield from some of the strange real e-releases I get for new wines (wines for Christians, wines for dog lovers, etc.). 

 <<California Vintners in the Napa Valley who produce Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Grigio wines, have developed a new hybrid grape that acts as an anti-diuretic. It is expected to reduce the number of trips older people have to make to the bathroom during the night. The new wine will be marketed as: Pinot More.>>

Meanwhile, news of our condo crisis is much brighter than last week. We are down to just two wind blowers and the dehumidifier in our bathroom and foyer/entryway to our kitchen. Estimates are that the two pads and blower in the bathroom will be out by tomorrow afternoon, and the kitchen pad and blower the next day.

After that, the “reclamation phase” will begin, during which the baseboards will be reattached and the crew will do its final clean-up. Whether or not we re-sand and resurface the maple floors after that is still in question, but at least we may be back to some semblance of “normalcy” by end of the week. We are making progress a lot more quickly than originally predicted, I’m happy to report. 

We know that spring has sprung and summer isn’t far behind each year when we sit outside at the Pink Door’s dandy deck and order the stupendous Everything Green Salad. It’s a perfectly placed pile of Bibb lettuce adorned with fava beans, asparagus tips, avocado, and English peas. The dressing? GREEN Goddess, of course!

Just in time for swimsuit season comes Tini Bigs Spa-Tini, a heady concoction of Rangpur Gin, Finlandia Vodka, orange liqueur, lime juice, eucalyptus syrup, and egg whites. According to the press release, “Eucalyptus is native to southern-hemisphere climes, where it famously comprises the diet of koalas. A diuretic, eucalyptus lowers blood sugar and adds a cool, refreshing menthol flavor, complementing the herbaceous gin. Egg whites impart festive froth and fortifying protein, and lime contributes Vitamin C.” Perhaps the Spa-Tini will counteract aftereffects from too many BLT Cocktails, which are served at The Gilt Club in Portland.