Family Dinner: And so I Begin

My dear, late, friend Ted and I used to alternately cook what we called "family dinners;" we would read recipes all week long and plan what we would make. One week it was at Ted's house - perhaps a Rick Bayless recipe made with the chorizo we had crafted together the week before, with some amazing dessert to follow. The next week it would be at our house, four doors down; perhaps pot-roast from our quarter of a cow (grass-fed, local, organic, natch) with spaetzle, with home-made liqueur afterwards. There were always great wines, perhaps some cocktails to start..... The "family" consisted of Ted, his BF Vernon, our friend Kim, my husband Joel, our daughter Johanna, and me. Occasionally, a lucky guest was invited in. Once in a while Kim or Vernon would host, but mostly it was the two of us. Ted kept talking about the blog we would start, and the regular newspaper column we would land, but then...... Well, no more Ted. So, in memory of Ted, I begin.