And a good time was had by all!!...Lobster...AAH! I also can tell a girl from a guy and rip one apart and snarf it down!
What are those jars of round things on the table? I thought maybe olives....but theya re too round!
Linda C

Sounds like a lovely get together. I never would have expected Woodie to be a "virgin" when it came to lobsters. Ones first lobster is always special. I remember mine.

foie gras, leek and ricotta ravioli with tomato confit, a watermelon and arugla salad with candied pistachioes and feta and mint.

Wow, can't wait to hear about the rest of the menu.

Ann

Wow, what a fabulous time you are having. I had dinner at the C.I.A. a long time ago and it was wonderful. What a lovely thing for Cindy's DH to do for all of you.

Lobster is such a fun thing to cook in a group. I love it, but have never been the one to put them in the pot.

Thanks for sharing the story and all the wonderful pictures.

CF get togethers are the best!

Lee

What great time! Everything sounds wonderful-- the surprise the company and the great food! I can't wait to hear more details!

Wow......this looks like you guys had a blast eating and cooking. Glad you all had a good time. That meal sounds amazing, that for the photos San!

Now that's a fun time!

Nice to see you all! Looks like a fantastic time :)
Lucky you, we tried getting reservations at the CIA but couldn't so we hit the Wine Trail instead! Beautiful country! Cindy's Geoff is tops!

Thanks for sharing the day and the pictures, San!

I was surprised Woodie was still a "virgin" when it came to lobsters, too!

Thanks everyone! We are having an amazing weekend! The food, wine,

Linda, the round things are malted milk balls that Woodie brought - strawberry, mint, chocolate and cookies and cream - YUM! She also brought the cream cheese/pecan olives. And Jersey tomatoes and wine. Of course, San brought lots of lobsters and wine and I filled in the gaps with more wine :)

Lunch at the CIA was a great way to start the day yesterday! We ate in the Escoffier Room and all got different items so that we could share :) Altogether we had:

La Petite Truffe Duck foie gras and chicken liver p�t� flavored with Grand Marnier rolled in chopped truffle and served with toasted brioche
Ravioli d'�t� Ricotta and leek ravioli on tomato fondue, bechamel sauce and parmesan
Salade de Roquette et Pasteque Watermelon and arugula salad, candied pistachios, mint, feta cheese and cucumber dressing
Coeur de Boeuf, Sauce Armagnac Saut�ed tenderloin of beef with fleurons of mushroom duxelles, cauliflower pur�e
and Armagnac raisin sauce
C�telette d'Agneau � l'Estragon Saut�ed cutlets of lamb with chicken mousseline, served with potato timbale,
Solferino vegetables and tarragon jus
Magret de Canard Montmorency Pan fried duck breast, with fondant potatoes, mesclun salad and duck jus with cherries
Pommes de Terre Pur�e Creamy potatoes with truffles
We had a Bordeax with dinner - Domaines Barons de Rothschild "R�serve Speciale," Pauillac, 2003
Mille-Feuille aux Fraises Classic layering of golden buttery puff-paste, chantilly cream, strawberries and raspberry sauce
Bavarois � la Vanille aux Mosaique de Fruits Bavarian cream, kirsch-glazed fruits with kiwi, coconut, mango, passion fruit and berry sauces
Tarte au Chocolat Creamy chocolate tart with mint cream

On the way home we stopped at my favorite Farm/Gourmet Market, and then a stop at TJ Maxx/Homegoods. Dinner last night was cheese, homemade bread and more wine :)

We're making cinnamon rolls this morning and unfortunately, have to take San to the train station to get her to her family in Central NY. The time has flown by faster than any of us imagined - we didn't get half the things done that we wanted to because we never stopped talking!

Oh I am so damn jealous I'm going to pout all damn day!

I bet you had a blast together, the whole adventure sounds wonderful. I too was alittle suprised Woodie was a lobster virgin. I have eaten many but never cooked one, guess I have never gone all the way!

How sweet of Geoff to do that for you!

Great memories!

Sounds like a fun forum get-together! The Escoffier Room dinner sounds memorable and a place I would love to visit.

Teresa

I'm as jealous as Chase...

Great that you could get together! I know the three of you had a great time!

Nancy

Put me in the pouting group. I am sooooooooo jealous!

It sounds like you all had a fantastic time - and woodie was a lobster virgin?!?!?!? Who would have guessed!!!!

The photos are great - I spotted the jar of Flo's right off the bat. San that is awesome that you brought that down. I have 1 jar left and I am doling it out by the scant teaspoon. It is awesome! Woodie and Cindy - you will love the stuff. Make sure you put it on a top split bun and use mayo and celery salt when you assemble your doggie.

I'm so glad you all had such a terrific time!

Alexa

The lobster looks so good and it has been so long since I've tasted fresh lobster!!

I wondered who was going to try on that jingle-belled jester hat...LOL!

Michelle

I just clicked on the first picture and between the stemless martini glasses and the wine glass fuzzy slippers I am HOWLING!!! Then I clicked on the lobster and just about lost it with the frilly things...hey Cindy, nice plate, I remember your search for those. The picture of Cindy and Woodie going at the lobsters...hey, you need red crocs!

That tablecloth must have come from San? Regardless - *THUD!!!* The rest of the loot looks great too, I can see those 'onion goggles'. What fun! Is that San's wedding cake bride/groom topper?

Sounds like a great pajama party was had by all. CIA...I'd consider giving up kosher for one day for that!

Well, add me to the "jealous/pouting" group! Looks like you all had a blast!

And that menu has me drooling, too!

Linda

What a great time!

What a great time you all are having and what wonderful sounding food.

I'll join the list of pouters and I'm sure I'll be pouting a long time over this one!

Beverly

It looks like you all had a fabulous time! I am so glad to see pix of you, san. You all look like a great bunch who know how to enjoy yourselves. Ooohhhh Lobster. Yum!

And on the seventh day, she rested.............
Do you know that song from Dirty Dancing - (I've Had) The Time Of My Life -- well, that sums up our weekend!

From the moment I arrived in Cindy's driveway and was greeted by San and Cindy with a glass of champagne, the weekend only got better and better. We talked and talked and talked some more. We laughed and laughed and laughed more than any of you could possibly imagine.

Cindy is the consummate hostess - the minute I arrived she put in a loaf of her homemade sourdough bread to bake so that in a few minutes the house smelled great! We ate Cindy's warm bread slathered with butter and a selection of great cheeses and had some cold shrimp with cocktail sauce, olives, and some malt balls, LOL. We had a little wine too :-) San took over after a while and boiled us up some lobsters and yes, I lost my lobster virginity! First time I've ever attacked a whole entire lobster all by myself! What a great treat - nothing better!

Geoff's treat of lunch at the CIA was incredible - the only thing Cindy forgot to mention was the complimentary tiny cup of "Shitake Cappucino" that was served right after we ordered, before our first course arrived. Boy was it good -frothy, creamy and very savory. Such a clever presentation. We had a wonderful table close to the huge glass window and could see into the kitchen with all the young chef students working. It was just so much fun and we asked a lot of questions and the young servers were very friendly and happy to answer our questions and talk about their school and their future plans. Really a great experience.

Michelle - Cindy had a funny chef's toque for each of us! Mine was a pizza hat! (Somewhere is a picture of us in our hats with our onion goggles on, hehe.)

Jessy, San and I did have Crocs this weekend - but not red ones! Guess they didn't make it into the picture.

It was really difficult to watch San get on that train this morning and then it was my turn to leave Cindy's house and get on the road. Very melancholy. Thankfully, Cindy sent me home with a couple of her home made cinnamon buns to ease my sorrow. They're supposed to be for Ken, but well, we'll see!

Looks like you had a great time -- thx for sharing with the rest of us.

Oh, wow, what a super fun time you all had! Thanks for sharing all the pics and details. It all sounds fabuous.

oh who the hell cares........

......wahhhhhh!

Thanks gals for allowing us to "virtually" share in the fun.

Yup, what Chase said......wahhhhhh! Not really, I'm thrilled that you girls were able to get together and have fun and lasting memories.

hi from central ny! it would be redundant to say we had a really WONDERFUL time but i have to say it anyway! cindy set the stage long before our arrival and just kept going and going, like an engergizer bunny--she was a real trooper! when geoff heard woodie had taken time from her social calendar to spend the weekend with us, he very generously offered cindy the choice of a limo tour of some the the wineries OR, a meal at the CIA. does cindy know us well or what?

i doubt i have ever talked so much in a span of about 42 hours and i know i have never laughed that much! you know how things can sometimes be and it all just worked for us. i was very sorry we didn't have more time of course but we sure didn't waste a second anywhere along the way...

i have to say that i am lacking in presentation skills but when woodie gave us each a little set of those french cuffs, monsieur h'omard got dressed and was ready to do. can't tell me he wasn't special! and i'm so glad you spotted that cake topper, jessica. the timimg of this trip was so that we could celebrate cindy and goeff's upcoming 25th anniversary. she shared a picture once and that topper really resembled her hair and gown. but i never tasted any wedding cake that was anywhere nearly as tasty as the platter of cinnamon rolls she made for us sunday morning--a certifiable treat, i assure you! besides time, the one thing i wish we had more of was a cheese they served at lunch. it was described as a cross between cheddar and parmesan and is called "mimolette" (hope i spelled that correctly). we found some at "adam's" food store and that description was perfect! i will be looking for that again! i have to move now--we are at ted's best friend's house and will be leaving shortly to go get my father, but i just had to say "hi" and thanx for the best virtual dinner i could have imagined!

Oh boy, do I wish I were there, eating lobster with Woodie. I admit freely and up front that I don't know how to tell a male from a female lobster and don't know why it would make a difference when I'm eating one, but it doesn't stop me from eating them when I get the opportunity so I'm at least not a "virgin"

The CIA menu is amazing and the produce shop looks wonderful but I'd really love to meet Woodie and San and Cindy, check out the "gifts" and generally laugh and chat.

It looks like the kind of weekend that'll be hard to top for fun and friends.

Annie

I admit freely and up front that I don't know how to tell a male from a female lobster and don't know why it would make a difference when I'm eating one..."

Hey Ms Annie - I can shed a little light on that one. If you have 2 lobsters that are the same weight, the male will have larger claws and more claw meat and the female has a more voluptous tail for those who prefer tail. Also, if you are into it, the females are the ones with "coral" or lobster roe. Some people like that sort of thing, I think it tastes like lobster flavored wax so I usually pass on it.

Glad to hear everyone made it safely to their respective destinations and that you all had a blast.

Alexa

Thank you, Alexa, for that information. Since I am an equal opportunity lobster consumer, enjoying both claw and tail meat equally, I am happy in my ignorance. LOL I don't eat the roe, either, it's that "texture" issue. (grin)

Oh, and happy anniversary to Cindy and Geoff!

Annie

What Sharon blubbered.

Best wishes for a very Happy Anniversary Cindy!

Sol

Annie, you need to slurp down a couple glasses of wine and watch Julia's lobster show! It will have you howling. The only thing I really remember is that the male has a hard pointy thing - Julia's words, not mine - not going there any more than that!

(The next night we watched Julia's roast chicken show - OMG, that's another story, LOLOL.)

0h who cares.....

waaahhhhhh!

Thanks for the anniversary wishes :)

And thanks for that lobster info Alexa! I know how to identify the sex from the fuzzy(female)or like Woodie said, the smooth, pointy(male) abdominal swimmerets, but didn't know what it meant as far as the difference in tail or claw meat.

As I read through the thread, I remember more and more from our weekend - this time San's post about finding the cheese reminded me about how much we talked about the forum (all good!) when we were at Adams :) So many items reminded us of forum folks and discussions here about different things - like plugra, panko, frozen baby goat, maytag blue cheese, different salts and sugars, greek yogurt, etc. Adams has never disappointed me when looking for something unusual that I see mentioned here first :) It was fun to be there with other foodies who recognized the same things!

I am so kicking my arse! I've been busy and I'm just getting to this thread. OH, what a wonderful time you guys had. LOL at Woodie losing her lobster virginity. I so wish I would have been there.
Ahem, I will also ditto what Sharon is saying.

Thanks for sharing the pictures.

{{gwi:1558122}}

Woodie, I'm only assuming that those shows are available on DVD, I'll look for them. It won't be as much fun without you, San and Cindy, though.

Let's see, I think the hard apple cider would go nicely with the roast chicken episode. The only other thing I have is pear wine, would that complement the lobster episode?

Hey, I like my wine cheap and sweet, my coffee hot, sweet and strong. Men? Hot is good, as is sweet. Strong would be nice. Rich would be really good but I think that ain't happenin'... (grin)

Annie

Annie - I first saw the DVD's on the PBS shopping site, but then also saw them on Amazon. I ended up getting them for a pretty good price on ebay. The great thing about those shows is the appeal they have for everyone! My girls and their friends have all watched a few episodes with me and even Geoff enjoyed watching some too :)

Cindy

Annie, did you get my email? (Not that it required an answer, just wondering since I changed my address.)

No, Woodie, I didn't get your email. I didn't get the last one from Jayne either. :-(

I even checked my "trash" and found 381 messages, including the notice that I've won the Irish Lottery, the Swiss Lottery, the U.K. Lottery and the Microsoft Lottery! All without ever buying a ticket, LOL.

Oh, and they'd like me to refinance "my" property here. I need to do that right away before they realize I don't own the courthouse!

Could you maybe send it again?

Annie

HE_ _, Annie, maybe you DO own the courthouse!
You've got it in writing now, right??

And congrats on the lottery winnings! LOL

This get-together sounds like LOTS of fun!! Thanks for sharing.

Deanna

one last little follow-up thought from me, as my co-hosts are on the road today, travelling to visit their families. i feel extremely lucky to have spent a couple of days with 2 warm, funny, creative and infinitely generous women, neither of whom i would likely have met if it wasn't for this forum. "thank you" is hardly adequate for all that you have shared with me over the last several years and it will be hard to top the laughter of this past weekend. i can only hope everyone else may find that same sort of connection here too. it's been nothing less than a ball!

This is too freaking cool!!! Looks and sounds like you three had a great time together!! I just love reading about all of these gatherings of friends here. I'm STILL waiting for that limo ride in NYC with Woodie and Sharon! Thanks for sharing your weekend with us y'all! What a weekend it was for sure...good food, drink and friends...friends being the special part of it all. Cindy and Geoff were the perfect hosts for sure....like anyone would doubt that!

Hard pointy thingies and Woodie losing her virginity....Mmmmm remeber the painters next door a few years ago....all that I can think of is flashing! LOL!

David