Today is our first Communion. I'm pretty excited, but also pretty nervous. I rose at 730 (which NEVER happens) after dreaming that I had forgotten to marinate the meats, despite doing it last night before bed. Soup is stewed, croutons are just out of the oven. A new batch of the walnut-raisin bread is rising, and a last perfected batch of sorbet is in the ice cream maker. I still have to do a goat cheese-basil paste, but will do that almost to dinnertime. I'm still reading on how to candy mint leaves, but think I may be overdoing it [scoff, overachiever.]
Jacob Brownwood, aka booh, is in charge of the main course and of picking two cheeses for dessert. I had a blast with him at WineHouse last Friday, trying to pick wine. California, Italy or Rhone? How much splurging can we do? And where can we find a good, but affordable, bottle of vin santo? Lisa 'the peanut' is our designated server, but I think she'll forget to clear courses once she's in the midst of conversation. And Molly D.W, my coworker at Range, is our confession instigator, or mistress of ceremony.
And Ceremony is exactly what has been on my mind lately: the attitudes and behaviors that ceremony and ritual entice. The performative aspects of ceremony that are acted out on the table. The table then, as a stage or an altar. But where is the line between ceremony and protocol? The decorum of ceremony is not of interest here, but the human component to rites of celebration. Etiquette is a social construction; ritual may be a human necessity.
I'm really excited to see what sort of stories come up. We have five confirmed guests (not all of them strangers) who have been or are currently involved in the food industry. This first Communion is certainly a sort of initiation rite for me, as I think a lot of ideas will get fleshed out and/or flushed out.
Next up will be the results...
Jacob Brownwood, aka booh, is in charge of the main course and of picking two cheeses for dessert. I had a blast with him at WineHouse last Friday, trying to pick wine. California, Italy or Rhone? How much splurging can we do? And where can we find a good, but affordable, bottle of vin santo? Lisa 'the peanut' is our designated server, but I think she'll forget to clear courses once she's in the midst of conversation. And Molly D.W, my coworker at Range, is our confession instigator, or mistress of ceremony.
And Ceremony is exactly what has been on my mind lately: the attitudes and behaviors that ceremony and ritual entice. The performative aspects of ceremony that are acted out on the table. The table then, as a stage or an altar. But where is the line between ceremony and protocol? The decorum of ceremony is not of interest here, but the human component to rites of celebration. Etiquette is a social construction; ritual may be a human necessity.
I'm really excited to see what sort of stories come up. We have five confirmed guests (not all of them strangers) who have been or are currently involved in the food industry. This first Communion is certainly a sort of initiation rite for me, as I think a lot of ideas will get fleshed out and/or flushed out.
Next up will be the results...
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