Before leaving Santa Fe for Montreal and Prince Edward Island, HG/BSK (plus visiting granddaughter Arianna R.) enjoyed a super sophisticated warm weather dinner at the downtown condo of David and Mary Jane H. The couple are born and bred Texans. In David’s younger years he quarterbacked the his high school football team to a state championship — quite a feat in that football mad state. It would seem that life would be an anti-climax after that triumph but Dave went on to Yale and a subsequent medical degree. Mary Jane went to Mt. Holyoke College and then practiced family law. Despite knowing of their distinguished education and professional achievements, HG anticipated a dinner of down home Texas vittles — namely barbecued beef and links. Couldn’t have been more wrong. Our aperitif on the patio was Can Feixes, a wonderful Spanish wine. Then came a superb gazpacho — a cool puree of golden and red tomatoes, olive oil, orange juice, cilantro, yellow bell peppers, cilantro, balsamic vinegar and white bread all blended to smooth perfection. Bowls came adorned with fans of sliced avocado. Main dish was Chicken Marbella (from the Silver Palate cookbook). The room temperature chicken had a middle eastern flavor enhanced by prunes, preserved lemon and olives. Delicious. Mary Jane accompanied it with an orzo salad made with zucchini, peppers, red onion, feta cheese, pine nuts and scallions. Dessert was a blackberry mousse flavored with cointreau and orange juice. Not exactly chuck wagon, down by the bunkhouse Texas cooking. Cliches about Texas and Texans were abandoned.
