Whew. Party's over. We've cleaned up, kind of. Got to bed at 1:30 am. The tuna turned out pretty well. It was different from the previous fish. Flesh was softer, fattier, not as firm. I skipped the chirasi course because I didn't think this fish was all that suited to sashimi. And I skipped the last course because it was getting late and people were full. The third most favorite dish was tuna marinated in miso and lots of sea salt for 24 hours. Served with a topping of wasabi tobiko (wasabi-infused flying fish roe, buy it at a Japanese market) and a smear of honey-wasabi sauce (exactly what it sounds like, honey mixed with a-not-quite toe-curling amount of wasabi powder). The runner up was the blast-seared tuna. Mix soy sauce, honey, and wasabi. Marinate tuna loin block overnight. Roll loin in sesame seeds to coat. Light charcoal in chimney starter. When coals are ready, put blow dryer at base of starter, so that white flame is roaring from top. Place grill on top, sear loin, each side 20 sec. Slice loin into medallions. Top with reserved marinade. The favorite, by far, was a variant of the pan-seared tuna with ginger shiitake sauce. FOAS posted a link to this dish in the previous tuna thread. I made some modifications - pan-browned the shiitake slices first, omitted the soy sauce, omitted the lime juice, added lime zest. Several people asked for this recipe, so here it is, and thanks again to FOAS - - slice shiitake mushroom caps to 1/4 to 1/8 inch, dice stems - brown diced stems in butter, set aside - brown cap slices in butter, working in single layer and turning each slice individually, to crusty, set aside - chop 1/3 c green onions, 1/4 c cilantro, 2 tbsp fresh ginger, 4 garlic cloves - cook in pan medium heat a few minutes, add mushrooms, then 1 1/2 c whipping cream, heat to low, cook until sauce thickens, set aside - heat to high, get pan very hot, add olive oil, sear tuna just long enough to get 1/8 inch cooked layer on each side - reheat sauce, add zest of 2 limes, add a teeny splash more of cream if sauce looks tired, salt to taste (for me, about 1 tsp kosher salt) - plate and be sure to credit FOAS The last dish, which we skipped, was tuna and scallop ceviche with a salsa of my own tomatoes, peaches, and kiwi. It was something I should have served earlier in the evening. Well, I'll have it for lunch and deliver some to the neighbors.

Here's a couple more tapas recipes plus a gazapacho recipe (cold Spanish tomato soup) and some recipes for sangria... GAZPACHO Makes 6 servings Ingredients: 3 medium ripe tomatoes (about 2 pounds), seeded and cut into chunks 1 large cucumber, peeled, cut in half lengthwise, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces 1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces 1 stalk scallion, white and green parts, cut into 1-inch pieces 1 clove garlic (1 clove is plenty in this dish) a good drizzle extra virgin olive oil 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar ½ cup tomato juice ½ tsp red pepper flakes Salt freshly ground black pepper Directions Combine the tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, scallion, and garlic in a food processor or blender and process until semi-smooth. Add the vinegar, tomato juice, pepper flakes and continue processing just until thoroughly combined with the vegetable puree. Transfer the soup to a bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Check the seasonings before serving. Serve in chilled bowls with a table set with condiments Condiments, etc. to have at the table for self serve: -- Tabasco sauce or similar hot sauce -- finely diced vegetable mix (Roma tomatoes, red onion, green and red peppers, celery and cucumber. -- avocado, diced -- herbed croutons -- chopped cilantro -- sour cream (or, better yet, sour cream whipped with fresh basil) -- salt and pepper ENSALADILLA RUSA Spanish Potato Salad Serves 4 Ingredients 3 medium potatoes 1 large carrot, diced ¼ cup shelled green peas 2/3 cup green beans ½ medium onion, chopped 1 small red bell pepper, chopped 4 small cocktail gherkins, sliced 2 tablespoons baby capers 12 whole anchovy-stuffed olives 1 large hard-cooked egg, sliced thin 2/3 cup mayonnaise 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard Freshly ground black pepper, to taste Chopped fresh parsley, to garnish Directions In a saucepan, cook the potatoes and carrot in lightly salted water. Bring to a boil and allow to simmer until almost tender. Fold in the peas and beans, and cook until all the vegetables are tender. Drain the vegetables and transfer them into a serving platter. Add the onion, pepper, gherkins, baby capers, anchovy-stuffed olives, and egg slices. In a separate bowl, thoroughly combine the mayonnaise, lemon juice and mustard. Add this mixture to the serving platter, mixing well to ensure all the ingredients are coated. Sprinkle with pepper and toss. Garnish with chopped parsley and refrigerate. Allow to stand at room temperature for about 1 hour immediately before serving to enhance the salad's flavor. ARTICHOKE RICE CAKES WITH MANCHEGO Serves 6 Ingredients 1 large globe artichoke 2 oz butter 1 small onion, finely chopped 1 clove garlic, finely chopped 4 oz rice 2 cups hot chicken stock 2 oz grated fresh Parmesan cheese 5 oz manchego cheese, very finely diced 3-4 tablespoon fine corn meal olive oil, for frying salt and ground black pepper fresh flat leaf parsley, to garnish Directions Remove the stalks, leaves and choke to leave just the heart of the artichoke; chop the heart finely. Melt the butter in a pan and gently fry the chopped artichoke heart, onion and garlic for 5 minutes until softened. Stir in the rice and cook for about 1 minute. Keeping the heat fairly high, gradually add the stock, stirring occasionally until all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is cooked - this should take about 20 minutes. Season well, and then stir in the Parmesan cheese. Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Leave to cool, then cover and chill for at least 2 hours. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the mixture into the palm of one hand, flatten slightly, and place a few pieces of diced cheese in the centre. Shape the rice around the cheese to make a small ball. Flatten slightly, and then roll in the corn meal, shaking off any excess. Repeat with the remaining mixture to make about 12 cakes. Shallow fry the rice cakes in hot olive oil for 4-5 minutes until they are crisp and golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper and serve hot, garnished with flat leaf parsley. PATATAS BRAVAS Serves 4 Ingredients 3 tablespoons olive oil 4 large Russet potatoes, peeled, and cut to 1-inch cubes 2 tablespoons minced onion 2 cloves garlic, minced Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 ½ tablespoons Spanish paprika ¼ teaspoon Tabasco Sauce ¼ teaspoon ground thyme ½ cup (4 fl. oz) Ketchup ½ cup (4 fl. oz) mayonnaise Chopped parsley, to garnish 1 cup (8 fl. oz) olive oil, for frying Directions The Brava sauce In a saucepan, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until the onion is soft. Turn off the heat, and add the paprika, Tabasco sauce, and thyme, stirring well. Transfer to a bowl and add the ketchup and mayonnaise. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. The potatoes Sprinkle the potatoes lightly with salt and black pepper. In a large skillet fry the potatoes in 1 cup (8 fl. oz) olive oil until cooked through and golden-brown, stirring occasionally. (Take care when adding the potatoes to the saucepan because the oil will splatter due to the salt). Drain the potatoes on paper towels, check the seasoning, add more salt if necessary, and set it aside. Continued Getting it all together Mix the potatoes with the sauce immediately before serving to ensure that the potatoes retain their crispness. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve warm. TORTILLA OR SPANISH OMELETTE (neither name is what you think it is) Serves 4 Ingredients ½ pint olive oil 5 medium baking potatoes, peeled, sliced and lightly sprinkled with salt ½ medium yellow onion, chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 5 large eggs Salt Directions Heat the olive oil in a 9-inch skillet and add the potato slices carefully, because the salt will make the oil splatter. Keep the potato slices separated so they will not stick together. Cook, turning occasionally, over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the onions and garlic and cook until the potatoes are tender. Drain into a colander, leaving about 3 tablespoons of oil in the skillet. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk the eggs with a pinch of salt. Add the potatoes, and stir to coat with the egg. Add the egg-coated potatoes to the very hot oil in the skillet, spreading them evenly to completely cover the base of the skillet. Lower the heat to medium and continue to cook, shaking the pan frequently, until mixture is half set. Use a plate to cover the skillet and invert the omelet away from the hand holding the plate (so as not to burn your hand with any escaping oil). Add 1 tablespoon oil to the pan and slide the omelet back into the skillet on its uncooked side. Cook until completely set. Allow the omelet to cool, and then cut it into wedges. Season it with salt and sprinkle with lemon juice to taste (optional). Serve warm or at room temperature. Basic Sangria Recipe Makes 4 glasses Ingredients 3 ¼ cups dry red wine 1 tablespoon sugar Juice of 1 large orange Juice of 1 large lemon 1 large orange, sliced thin crosswise 1 large lemon, sliced thin crosswise 2 medium peaches, peeled, pitted and cut into chunks 1 cup club soda Directions Combine all the ingredients except for the club soda in a large punch bowl or serving pitcher, mixing well. Refrigerate overnight. Immediately before serving, mix in the club soda for added fizz. Ladle into cups with ice cubes. White Sangria Makes 8 glasses Ingredients Apple juice, for ice cubes 1 ¼ cups water 1 small bunch fresh mint ½ cup sugar 3 sticks cinnamon 3 ¼ cups dry white wine 2 medium peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced 2 small pears, cut into chunks 2 medium oranges, sliced crosswise 2 small lemons, sliced crosswise 3 cups sparkling apple cider Mint leaves, to garnish (optional) Directions To make the apple juice ice cubes, pour the apple juice into two ice trays and freeze until the sangría is ready to serve. Combine the water, mint leaves, sugar, and cinnamon in a small saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for several minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Once the mixture has cooled to room temperature, remove and discard the mint and cinnamon sticks. Transfer the remaining mixture to a large serving bowl. Add the wine, peaches, pears, and the orange and lemon slices to the serving bowl. Mix well, and refrigerate overnight. Immediately before serving, mix in the sparkling apple cider and the apple juice ice cubes. Garnish with fresh mint leaves, if desired. Peach and Orange Sangria Makes 6 glasses Ingredients 3 ¼ cups dry white wine 1/3 cup sugar 1/3 cup Triple Sec 1/3 cup peach-flavored brandy 2 medium peaches, peeled and sliced 2 medium oranges, sliced thin and crosswise 1 cup sparkling orange soda 1 cup ginger ale Directions In a large serving bowl, combine all the ingredients except the orange soda and ginger ale and mix well. Refrigerate overnight. Immediately before serving, mix in the orange soda and ginger ale. Serve over Ice. * Lemons and cherries may be added too, for an additional splash of color. Fruity Sangria Makes 18 glasses Ingredients 8 cups dry red wine 8 cups apple juice 1 small grapefruit, cut into eights 1 medium orange, sliced thin crosswise 1 medium lemon, sliced thin crosswise , seeded 1 small pear, diced 1 medium apple, diced Directions Combine the wine, apple juice, and grapefruit pieces in a large pitcher. Mix well, cover and refrigerate overnight. The following day, add the orange and lemon slices to the wine. Refrigerate for a further 3 hours. Add the pear and apple to the mixture, then allow to stand for a further 1 hour to absorb the flavor fully. Mix well and serve over ice. Joe

Thankfully, it is cooling down this week, and we should get some rain for the weekend. Crazy hot for the first week of June in Portland, record breaking actually. The weather really has changed here. My former neighbor was born here in the 1950s, and when he was a boy, snow was a regular event. My Helpful Friend who was visiting this weekend was born here in the 1960s, and during his childhood there would be snow every winter. In the ten years I've lived here, we have had snow only every four years or so. The summers are longer and hotter, the winters warmer although no less wet. This isn't just fallible memory; I've seen charts of weather data back to the 1800s that confirm the warming trend in the Pac NW. At least climate change is making the Oregon weather merely more temperate, actually "improving" it by some standards, and our coastline is steep so a few feet rise in sea level won't be a problem . Unlike other areas of the country, where the new normal will be stifling and floody in a couple of decades. On the employment thing, I've had an interesting and ultimately wonderful year. My company folded last summer, so I took some time off while looking for a new job. That search turned into a period of self-assessment and direction change. I learned that my former niche of the industry is almost non-existent in Portland, with barely fifty people in the whole city doing what I did. I also learned that in that niche, the opportunities for a fifty-year old are thin; it is a youth-oriented business in which companies want to hire twenty and thirty-year olds who will be cheap, not a threat, and do as they are told. Finally, I was reminded that the niche is not growing; actually, it is a shrinking business, due to changes and concentration in the industry that have been going on for decades. So I had to decide how much I wanted to stay in that part of the industry and whether I was willing to uproot from Portland. For some months, I planned on commuting to work in another city, with an apartment in San Francisco or even New York and a weekly flight to/from the family. But reason won over inertia, and in March I decided to switch to a different niche of the industry, which values experience more and isn't so concentrated in the money centers. Some good luck then came my way and I started interviewing for a local job in April. Two months and some ten interviews later, I am about to start a new career, one which I think will be better suited for the phase of life that I'm in now. I'll learn new things, won't be getting up and 4 am to work 14 hour days, and will have less (none?) of the stress that came with the old career brought. (I used to take my blood pressure during the day. In the afternoon, which is when things tended to blow up, I would sometimes see 200/120, even while my pulse was only 65. I looked and felt calm, but that just was a trained reaction.) In the meantime, I've thoroughly enjoyed my sabbatical. I've spent a lot of time with my kids, as cliched as that may sound. I made my son breakfast every day, worked Saturdays building the sets for his high school plays, took him to school and dance and helped him learn to drive. My daughter came home from college every few weeks and we cooked, planned her upcoming "year off" in Europe, shopped, taught her to drive, and played with the cats. SWMBO is perhaps a little tired of having me around - but she hides it well. I go back to work in two weeks. Life is packed right now. The kids are finishing the school year,. We've had friends visiting. I'm shopping for dress shirts and getting my "respectable" car running again. SWMBO is planning her summer, which may include a trip to Ireland with a girlfriend! Portland's bike festival, Pedalpalooza, is starting this week and I'm leading a few of the rides. On Sunday my daughter and son will drive to California for the summer, and dad will go along - not going to let two new drivers tackle a 600 mile road trip alone - then I'll fly back and enjoy the last few days as an unemployed man. (And read the binders of material that I asked my new boss to send me.) So, here we are, me (left). SWMBO (center), and Helpful Friend, at the start of summer 2016. Hello from Portland!

Thanks for the tips! DD said they want to do it at a pizza place-we have a couple choices-one has a big game section and lazer tag, I'd like to do it there because the guys (and girls) could always play a round of lazer tag afterward (hey, that could be a prize for a game....) But the other place serves better pizza and the parking is better. I'll need to check with both places to see what their capacity is-I think the game parlor is larger. There were a couple games mentioned, I like the baby photo one. At their wedding they also played some games, so I know that they enjoy doing things like that. Maybe since it'll be an adult party we might do a version of Words Against Humantiy with baby themed words? Definitely want to get the guys involved. I wouldn't do anything cutesy-that's not their style anyway. My SIL said that a lot of his coworkers wanted to throw him a shower! I think that's cute. He's definitely going to be a hands on dad-he's an early education teacher with Head Start and loves little ones. That cake is gorgeous. My DS's girlfriend's friend makes gorgeous cakes-she made the Reveal Party cake, I might ask her to make one for this party too. We know the baby is a boy-no name has been chosen yet, so colors for the party are easier to do now. I just hope they don't get bogged down with footballs!