Relative Something

In the afternoon on Friday, Stephanie spent some time working on a project for school –a presentation that was due on Monday, while Cyndie prepared food for the dinner at Carlos’ that evening. They decided it would be best to pre-cook most of the food in advance, and then it would only need a little heating up when we get there.

The whole idea for this dinner started when Carlos had been unable to take Cyndie up on the offer of joining us for lunch earlier in the week. He countered with an invitation to his home where she could prepare a meal in their kitchen. His wife was going to be away, helping to pick grapes for other friends, so having a ‘guest cook’, and being able to show off the magnificent view from his kitchen, were two things that would make him very happy. Dinner at Carlos’ would also provide Ian with a new experience, as he had yet to enjoy such an opportunity.

It took us a while to decide what we could prepare that wouldn’t require extraordinary effort, didn’t involve ingredients that we didn’t have available, and might still offer something characteristic of us, as visitors to their region. I came up with meatloaf. It made us laugh, but it fit the criteria. Cyndie also prepared a cheesy-potato bake, some cut fruit, a lettuce salad, and ginger bread with lemon sauce. We packed it all in the back of Ian’s Forester, along with my guitar, and enjoyed a scenic drive to Carlos’ farm.

When we arrived, Carlos and his daughter, Rita (15 yrs), came out to greet us and help carry things inside. They offered a nonalcoholic grape drink that, to my palate, was less grape juice and more wine that hadn’t yet fermented. Carlos provided a brief tour, out to see his beautiful horses and walk a bit of his picture-postcard gorgeous property. He has a fantastic grove of olive trees and a significant number of grape vines. Cyndie had placed food in the oven to get it heating, and I am surprised we got away with being out of the kitchen as long as we were, without burning something. It is quite a feat that Cyndie pulls off, first preparing the food in advance in Ian’s kitchen, which is foreign to her, and then stepping into Carlos’ house for the very first time and accomplishing the meal in his kitchen!

The meal is a success. Even Rita appeared to like it. Rumor has it, she can be hard to please when it comes to food. To our surprise, Carlos’ mother prepared two desserts for us: an almond cake and kind of a rice pudding. Cyndie had already brought her peach cobbler with ice cream, so we had plenty of dessert. Even though he doesn’t drink any, Carlos had opened a bottle of wine for Cyndie to enjoy. Later he brings out a second bottle that they refer to as green wine, which is not aged for long. I believe it was one he made. Stephanie joins Cyndie in trying a taste of that. Finally, he gets up and opens a bottle of port wine and Ian agrees to have a small glass of that with the girls. Carlos is a very generous host.

Neither Carlos nor his daughter speak much english and initially, Rita hardly says anything. It is obvious the poor girl is battling a cold, and she excuses herself occasionally to blow her nose. She is truly model beautiful. At one point, she sets up her camera for auto-timer and captures a picture of us all at the table. After dinner, we sit around the table and I pull out my guitar to provide background music while we visit. Rita uses a little device to make cigarettes for Carlos. Then Rita and Carlos give Cyndie a tour of the house, which I have already seen. Cyndie’s abilities with Spanish seem to give her everything she needs to communicate. Rita becomes a bit more verbal. Meanwhile, Stephanie joins me in singing some abbreviated versions of Dylan songs, and then one by the Beatles.

When we notice feeling it is getting late to be out, especially since we have a big day of grape harvesting scheduled to start in the morning, we begin the process of preparing to go. Carlos needs to warn Cyndie twice, not to do the dishes; the second time, coming into the kitchen to cut her off from the task. She leaves some leftovers for them and we pack up the rest. He insists we take the rest of the desserts his mother prepared, still in the dishes in which they were served, telling us we can return them later. He wants to come with us to see the water fall on the other side of Mt Graça later in the week. We can return the dishes then, he offers.

The drive home in the dark is uneventful and we expend tired energy, tending to the putting away of all the leftover food we brought home, and feeding the dogs and cat. We also give the cat his medicine. We don’t get to bed until almost midnight.