When I decided my dinner menu, for planning purposes, on Saturday a week ago, it was with a sincere hopefulness that I'd earn a beef supper through hard yard labors. I was not quite successful at that but stuck with my scheme nonetheless: filet mignon along with sweet potato fries. Fried sweet potato fries, at that, which I do not remember doing before. It was a new recipe nonetheless, and it seemed on the money, even if the sweet potato itself may not have had as much flavor packed into it as needed. (The steaks were pretty perfect, though.)
That Saturday saw a return of the heat and humidity of summer. I was diligent outside for a portion of the morning but, when the afternoon settled in with all its most pressing June characteristics, I could only labor through one wheelbarrow load of mulch before seeking sanctuary back inside. As you can see above, Sumner was a faithful companion but also one who could not make sense of my outdoor activity at that moment. His steadfast proximity was itself a labor of love, no doubt.
The night ended on a sweet note, thanks to the marvelous carrot cake I made the previous day, mostly to give away to downtown and neighborhood friends. Of course I sampled a slice the evening I'd made it, and a final large overindulgent hunk remained from all the distribution so that I could not turn away from its temptations. But it was a Saturday night, and it was not all right (or "alright," as Elton John penned it) for fighting.
"Crispy Sweet Potato Fries," from Chef John Ovens on YouTube. [Published 19 April 2020]
"Blue Ribbon Carrot Cake (1981)," also known as "Best Carrot Cake (October, 1997)," from Southern Living. Compiled in the Southern Living 1981 Annual Recipes, Birmingham: Oxmoor Press. Also found online. The recipe I follow was recommended to and shared with me by John & Ebbie Linaburg of Woodstock, Virginia.
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