2/11/12

My birthday weekend in Vermont, not unlike dozens

in the past.  At this point, Liv is well familiar with

Grampa's antics and if you could see her eyes, they'd

be looking away as to say, 'you're embarrassing me,

Grampa'.  He's been patrolling at Stratton since the mid-

sixties, and still sees it as a privilege to provide his 

EMT and skiing expertise most winter weekends so 

that the tens of thousands of skiers who visit here every

winter can ski, knowing that he and his fellow ski patrolmen

are there for them in times of need.    

Saturday evening I participated in a charity event, the 

Stratton Foundation's  'Taste of Vermont', held at Stratton 

Mountain's Base Lodge on Saturday night.  I entered as an amateur 

chef, of whom there were 20, and we were to be judged on the taste

and merits of our dishes. I chose two items to serve with which I 

was very comfortable:  Gravlax and Knob Salad.  

They were to open the floodgates at 7:00 p.m., but at 6:45 the 

masses started to appear, and I was in full swing plating dishes

whether I was ready or not. My volunteer assistant Claudia stood by 

my side and helped stem the tide by spooning Knob salad on those

 plates to start the presentation. I couldn't have done it alone. The 

sweat started to bead on my brow, and I turned away several times 

to blot it and keep it from dripping on my already cured Salmon. Not 

something you want the customer to see.  Things didn't slow down 

until about 8:15, which was good because the Gravlax was just about 

gone.  I had a ton of  feedback and lots of genuinely nice 

compliments, and after so many years of not having done something 

quite like this it was really refreshing and a great 

re-introduction to the food show scene.  

Evidently, the presiding highly acclaimed chef/judge, Suvir Saran,

liked the Gravlax enough to honor me with one of the top 

five spots.   I thank him for the opportunity to showcase food 

that's near and dear to me. The anticipation leading up to the 

judging was a little nerve-wracking, but regardless of the 

outcome, it was fun as hell and something I plan on doing for 

years to come.  And ultimately, it was all for a good cause. 

What a great way to wind up my birthday.