shakertown

ok, so last night my extended family gathered for our annual dinner at shakertown, a restored shaker village 9 miles away that has a nice dining room and good food. The Shakers did not necessarily endear themselves to the locals........most notable is the time when they fed the Union army as they headed Southwest toward Perryville, the site of yet another Civil War battle that draws reinactors on a yearly basis. The architecture at Shakertown is distinctive albiet segregated.......the Shakers so believed that the end of the age/return of Christ was coming any day, so they beleived in strict separation of the genders as a protecttion against procreation....no use having more children if the world as we know it was expecting upheaval any moment......therefore every structure has separate entrances for men and women, and every multistoried building has dual staircases.....and the food is simple but tasty....using original recipes......i am a big fan of the sweet gherkins and the pickled okra that they always pass with the relish bowl.....and the egg in aspic on anchovy toast appetizer.....the rest of my family leans toward the tomato celery soup....but last night scw ordered the egg as well......a proud moment for a parent.....several of our party ordered the country ham......thinly sliced smoked then boiled then baked ham that is salty and decidedly lean and firm. I had the catfish, mostly because i had never ordered it and i do so like fried fish.....i brought home the leftovers for acw.....i was somewhat disappointed that they didn;t serve the salsify casserole.....i really like salsify, a root vegetable that is quite unique....ah well......maybe next time.....we have enjoyed a pre-holiday dinner for years.......way back to the days when one or both children were in high chairs......it is a pleasure to see them move away from the kids menu on to more interesting fare......and then there was the potential d-i-l.....she looks so enamored of my son, and this is also reason to smile....she is bright, articulate, witty, and decidedly beautiful....what more can a mother want....... so today, i begin my shift as the cook for this clan....best get to work......