candlelight dinner

The first clue was when the internet went out.  About that same time, Kathy looked out the window and saw a green plume flash with flames from the side down in the valley by corner of Traver and Plymouth.   Something terrible had happened in our neighborhood, and firetrucks came by shortly.  Of course, our electricity was out, so we commenced on our pioneer evening. It wouldn’t be silent, as Spotify fed Oontz through my phone, which would own the day.  We were treated by streams from the Mary Chapin Carpenter channel.  Making dinner was a challenge, to be sure.  Thank God we got one o’ them gas stoves.  I’d had in mind something to use up the aging mushrooms perched on top of the garage refrigerator.   Kathy pitched in, grating “rice” from a cauliflower head by hand, just as her ancestors had done.  No Cuisinart tonight, sweetheart.   This “rice” cooks up in an iron skillet, no steam please.  It made a perfect bed for my mushroom gravy, and that bottle of 2019 Meerlust Red (South African!) washed everything down just fine.  With candles and a fire in the fireplace, we still had some light and even a little heat.  A couple extra layers and we had all the hygge we wanted.  Dino knows the score (1).

This would probably taste good even if you didn’t make it in a blackout:

Reference

1. Dean Martin.  I’ve got my love to keep me warm. (original) 1959. YouTube.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuA_-aG4OXI

Coda: Earlier today, DTE informed us we were 2 of the 4,000 customers without power, which had a 95% chance of being restored by Sunday night (today’s Thursday).  We bundled up and hunkered down.  The evening’s basketball game was a chance to get out and get warm.  When we returned from the ballgame  – our girls won handily – we were surprised to see the streetlights and houselights all up Broadway shining brightly.  Left on Leaird and on to Harbal, they didn’t shut off.  Hooray!  A warm and bright house greeted us.  We restarted the fire and put the candlesticks back on the shelf.  They’ll live to light another day.