Autumnal Cocktail Party

We marked a particular season of changes with a little autumnal cocktail party recently. Without putting too fine a point on it, I wanted to have a gathering to cheer friends, co-workers, in the midst of a blustery period of transition while welcoming the fall, as we may. In celebrating both processions, and to almost coin a phrase from Dorothy Parker, one might as well drink.

So, to the simple party, and we did eat too: Smokehouse almonds and olives met with glasses of sauvignon blanc and pinot grigio as we chomped on wonderful, puffy Bacon, Roasted Corn & Chive Gougeres with some fine maple syrup for dipping.

Crab Bisque (which I dubbed Chilled Crabacchino because we frothed it with our Braun hand blender and served in vessels of gracious antiquity) was delicious in spite of the recipe. I really worked it out on my own, alternately fiddling, futzing, fretting with the damned thing. The recipe doesn't make any sense--pots and pans are introduced without warning like denouement characters in an Agatha Christie mystery novel. Anyway, click here and solve it yourself. But do serve it with skewered, toothsome chunks of Alaskan King Crab as we did. Delicious!

A toast to change then, as we greet it, ever forward at such a maddening pace!