We had COMPANY!!!! YIPPEE!!!! Friday night Lee and Wayne Barrios arrived on their Goldwing, all the way from New Orleans. They dodged tornadoes, drove through a snowstorm near Butte, MT, and found their way to the Gorge. Lee teaches Gifted English at Mandeville Jr High, and both my girls earned their stripes in her class. They like to brag that she taught them all the English grammar they'd need to succeed in college. So Lee rates high on the 'best teachers' list in our house. We're hoping to hear from retired awesome fourth grade teacher Doris V. soon (Doris, we know you're in the northwest this summer! CALL!)We had a great weekend, giving them the 50 cent tour Friday evening (to the Bridge of the Gods, Cascade Locks for pizza and brews, following the old highway to Multinomah Falls, and the postcard gorge view from Vista House), the dollar tour on Saturday (to Trout Lake, Husum Falls, Hooba's for lunch- where we tried the new pulled pork sandwich hot off the hillbilly smoker, Wind River Cellars for tasting, and to Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood). Timberline, by the way, still has snow piled up to the top of the second story windows. I skipped that leg of the journey to work on dinner prep. The weather was a bit chilly, cloudy, and socked in at Mt. Hood. But Mt. Adams peeked through the clouds while we were in Trout Lake, and Mt. Hood gave them a slightly clothed view by evening. Sunday was a postcard day, so they took off on the bike to explore the fish hatchery and Bonneville Dam, lunch at our fave Horsefeathers, and checking out the shops in Hood River.
My big accomplishment for the weekend was preparing the First Annual Curry Night in White Salmon. When we lived in Nigeria, we got hooked on Indian food. East Indian, not Native American. We have to specify here. Unlike the LAST place I lived... Anyway, we moved to Louisiana, and there was a woeful lack of said cuisine, so I started the Annual Curry Night for all our friends (mostly Brits) who were suffering from Indian food withdrawal. I'd cook for days. Even made my own naan. Then we moved to Sugar Land. Indian Food Heaven! So Annual Curry Night went on hiatus. Well, it's back. The nearest Indian Buffet is in Portland. The test run was a success, with appreciative diners, so I can expand next year.
I should have taken pictures of the food. What was I thinking? Thanks to my mentor in Nigeria, Nina Ahluwalia, wherever you are. She taught small groups of us expats how to make the goods. We started with vegetarian samosas and coriander chutney. I cheated and used egg roll wrappers cut in half instead of painstakingly making my own wrappers. Because I could. The main buffet included bengan bharta (spiced eggplant-Keara's and my fave), keema (minced lamb balls) in curry sauce, lentils with spinach and ginger, tandoori chicken, jasmine rice, garlic naan, raita (yogurt with cukes and mint), and traditional onion pickle. Roz brought a yummy potato and soy bean dish, and an incredible dessert made with ricotta cheese, almonds, coconut, topped with fresh mango. We served Pimms cups before dinner (a tradition from the original curry nights) and Joel, the WRC 2007 Riesling (we helped harvest) was perfect with dinner. It just might become the official wine of curry night, and earn you and Kris an invite next year. And now I get to eat leftovers tonight!!!!!
Lloyd, meanwhile, not to be outdone with a weekend project, completed The Great Wall of Lloyd, as Wayne dubbed it. He's been moving earth by wheelbarrow. Crazy man. But it looks great, and he's made a nice little parking area at the top of the hill for Goldwings that don't like our gravel driveway, and for winter parking of a vehicle so we don't have shovel it all out to escape.
So that's life in the gorge for now. More to come!
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