Thanksgiving At Aspen Street

We enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner at home with friends Jet and Richard. For appetizers, Dan put out the following treats: hummus, whitefish spread, a Horseradish cheddar cheese and pickled mushrooms. All served with crackers, of course. Plus Jim had baked a bunch of chestnuts, which everyone gobbled down big time. For dinner Jim made a Kabocha squash (rather like acorn squash, very flavorful) and Whole Foods provided the following: mashed potatoes, turkey, gravy, cranberry sauce, and green beans with shallots.The only mistake: a big brownie that Jim baked in the oven. To Dan, the chocolate tasted bitter in that and Dan decided not to have any leftover pieces of that item. Jim also put out his tofu turkey, but only Jim and one guest ate any of that. But I have to say that the $69 he paid for the food from Whole Foods was reasonable because that spread would have fed eight instead of the four eaters present here. The nasty brownie came not from Whole Foods but with the tofu turkey (free at Shop Rite) and Jim threw away the rest of it today. The main desserts were separate chocolate mousses from Di Bruno. They were delicious! - Dan

Two Days In Richmond

We joined our friends Chad and Franklin from Baltimore on Saturday for an overnight visit to Richmond, Virginia. We saw four attractions: the Capitol (with a great tour guide there), the Valentine Museum, including a tour of its 1812 Wyckam House, a wonderful example of Federal architecture, the Museum of Fine Arts and the ICA (Inst. Contemporary Art.) The last had mostly displays by artists decrying the past treatment of slaves and black people by those in power, namely white men. It's interesting that the atmosphere in Virginia has changed so much from when Dan visited the state as a child and teen. There was a great Hopper exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts and we also had a really good lunch there in their restaurant, before we took the train home. The weather was just as cool in Richmond as here in Philadelphia. The train ride home, was miserable as there was a half hour delay, lengthening the trip into five and 1/2 hours. Going down to the city was much better, a 4 hour and 15 minute trip. The trains also has a longer stop at Washington when traveling north. Amtrak still has a way to go to match the efficiency of European or Japanese trains. - Dan