Another Wednesday filled with productive stuff ended on a high note, in honor of National Coq au Vin Day. That silky long-simmered wine sauce, the succulent mushrooms, the snappy pearl onions, the scattered chew of full-strength bacon pieces, and the tender braised thighs: this almost-reasonable-for-a-weeknight dinner hardly needed an accompaniment, but homemade mashed potatoes fit the call of foodie duty.
I’d been referred to a retina specialist, after my yearly eye exam gave the optometrist pause because of a newly-spotted abnormality along the left eye's edge. But the specialist I saw Wednesday morning was glad to report that I might have been born with this slight scarring, or at least carried it a long time [photo above for illustration/pulled from Google!]. It’s the higher-grade imaging equipment in my downtown eye care shop that he believes made it possible for them to see it for the first time. I like when the diagnosis is: “Nothing to see here!” Taking the new Camry in for its first 5,000-mile servicing happened mid-day, followed by a full grocery shopping trip. There was hardly enough time to enjoy another glorious perfect spring day...but I was determined that this special meal would be the supper that night!
Finally: as of late Tuesday afternoon, May 28th, my childhood home in Buies Creek is now proudly owned by our long-time renters, the Sorrell family. I drove down to Harnett County that day to be present for the rather speedy closing. While home and Buies Creek and Parkwood Circle (our quiet neighborhood tucked in on the northwest side of the Campbell University campus) are absolutely dear to me, what especially tied me to it passed away with my mother, who was the rock and anchor and reason for that deeply-felt bond to a place and time. There was a little scrambling for signatures on a final document, as I sat with dilated eyes at the retina specialist's office, but now it's all sealed and delivered. I think Josh and Amber are pretty happy, and we are all very happy for them.
"Modern Coq au Vin," by Sandra Wu. In Cook's Illustrated, Number Eighty-Three (November & December, 2006), p. 18-19.
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