Dumplings to Die for

Summer had a party at her New Paltz digs for her English teachers. There’s quite the cadre.

Her mother-in-law made dumplings to die for – from scratch! A complicated filling of minced pork, chilis, and cilantro.

“What’s the recipe for these?” I asked, and Summer shook her head.

“We don’t use recipes. We make with whatever’s in the fridge.”

That’s how I cook too, most of the time. I improvise from materials at hand. My contribution to the party was an apple pie into whose crust I’d tried to bake an English toffee-like crumble. A standard at a restaurant Jean-Luc and I used to hang out at Back in the Day. (Nervous much about the upcoming trip to California? Uh – why do you ask?)

Pie didn’t exactly turn out the way I wanted it to. But next time, it will.

The woman who teaches the group ESL class in Dutchess is moving to Maine some time in the next couple of months. Asked if I might be interested in taking over the class.

Hmmmm. I do loathe Dutchess County Literacy Connections. And I don’t have any actual teaching experience. Might be entertaining though. Might.

Trying to pull together a Grown-Up Outfit for the Memorial. Will make the thrift-store-cum-vintage-shoppe rounds tomorrow, I guess.