Coco Cooks has moved!

You should be automatically redirected in 5 seconds.

If not, please visit http://www.coco-cooks.com and update your bookmarks and RSS feed.

7.28.2008

An Ending And A Beginning



The past week for me had me saying goodbye to an old friend and hello to a new one. Mama Roxy's two funerals were held on Thursday and Friday. I got to see some other long lost acquaintances. Why is that when people usually catch up its at funerals? We all had a nice lunch at Dixie Kitchen after the service. Since the repast would be on Friday out of the city, everyone and Roxanne's family ended up there for lunch before they hit the road. It couldn't have been orchestrated better. A nice laid back informal lunch.
On Saturday I was a guest at a Chinese Banquet to celebrate the birth of Baby K . I represented both Marc and I at this new experience for me. I tried not to over indulge that day to make room for the feast.The above symbol I was told means long life. On my way to the event I found a great kitchen store in China town. My eyes were drawn to the vegetable cutters. How fun is this! I cut the above out of a potato. I cant wait to play some more with this. I can even see me using it on cake designs.I need to revisit and get the Double Happiness symbol. I'm going to apologise for the pictures on today's post. As I mentioned in an earlier post, Certain Someone has reclaimed his camera and I reduced to an antique digital and my Blackberry camera with flash. I cant figure out how to deactivate the flash on it. I photo shopped some pictures to make a tad better, but its still doesn't the food justice.


These shots show 9 out of the 12 courses we had that evening. I was seated at the American table unfortunately . Because we weren't Chinese, they felt one course of braised Pigeon would be to exotic for us. I could have ate the Pigeon. But the other people at the table were not so keen as they passed on it before at the older child's banquet years ago. Here is a menu of what we were served:
Tea Dyed Eggs and Pickle
Assorted Chinese Cold Cuts( pork belly, beef, bean curds,
jelly fish,pork with crispy rinds,etc.)
Peking Duck ( Braised Pigeons for the other guests)
Shrimp Puffs( The best!!!!)
Chinese vegetables (mushrooms, bamboo, etc.)
Scallops and Chinese Broccoli
Steamed Lobster
Shark Fin Soup
Crispy Chicken
Noddles
Steamed Whole Fish
'Fried Rice'( More like steamed rice with 2 types of toppings, very saucy)
Did I mention they had cake too? I could barely stand and walk after this.And there were so many kids running around and rolling about under the table I was getting antsy. But it was a joyous time . I'm not a preachy person but I think this verse sums up my week and life best.

To everything there is a season,a time for every purpose under the sun.A time to be born and a time to die;a time to plant and a time to pluck up that which is planted;a time to kill and a time to heal ...a time to weep and a time to laugh;a time to mourn and a time to dance ...a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing;a time to lose and a time to seek;a time to rend and a time to sew;a time to keep silent and a time to speak;a time to love and a time to hate;a time for war and a time for peace.
ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Stumble Upon Toolbar

29 comments:

Darius T. Williams said...

OMG - I love that scripture - I just referred to in at www.dariustwilliams.blogspot.com

Dixie's Kitchen - I'll pass. I mean the peach tea, peach wings, and those cornbread cakes are good. But everything else - well, it's just okay.

Proud Italian Cook said...

What a week you had my friend. it's really sad that we always see old friends and even some family only at weddings and funerals. life is too short, we all need to connect more! I love your little stamp!

Rosa's Yummy Yums said...

A wonderful post! You are right, things come when they have to come...

I love that vegetable cutter! What a gorgeous meal!

Cheers,

Rosa

Unknown said...

life's like that eh?

i love ur vegetable cutter ^_^

Dagmar said...

Lovely post. I love that verse and it's sure a good summary for your week.

I really like the vegetable cutter, very cute!

Deborah said...

Wow - you have had a busy week! And I, too, love the vegetable cutter!

Christine said...

Ooh, egg drop soup! How were the tea-dyed eggs? I've been curious about it since I first heard of them in a cookbook. Does the tea really infuse into the egg? Really awesome vegetable cutter, too.

That's one of my favorite verses. :)

glamah16 said...

Christina-I didnt taste or noticethe flavor of tea at all.Maybe I will try to do it myself.
Darius- I begto differ. While not my favorite place, I love the fried green tomatoes,Swamp Water , and Oyster Po Boys. Im in heaven!

Megan said...

Interesting menu.I would try everything including the pigeon. Gotta at least try things once is my motto.
That verse is one of my favorites. Perfect!
Cool cutter too!

Thistlemoon said...

What a beautiful post Courtney. It sounds like you are finding some happiness and peace and I am so glad for you!

Anonymous said...

Love the cutter too, can't wait to see you use it on a cake.

Anonymous said...

Sorry to hear about Mama Roxy. You paid her a very nice tribute my dear. You're gonna be fine. :-)

maybelles mom said...

Oh, dixie kitchen makes me happy... and I am sorry for your loss and happy for your gain. Adulthood always reminds me that life is turns out to be a cycle. I hope you find peace in your loss.

giz said...

Judging by the way you wrote about Mama Roxy, I suspect you did exactly what she would have wanted you to do - have a celebration. You did it in style and honoured her.

Y said...

Great great post! And I love that vegetable cutter. I have a few, but have yet to use them to cut vegetables! I'm imprinted them on top of cookies though.

Heather said...

You should get a stamp that says "roasted duck" and tell everyone it says "beautiful wisdom". :D

I need like 4 more hours in a day to keep up with everyone's blogs! It's too nice out.

Laura Paterson said...

Beautiful quote...

and lol at heather's suggestion!

~~louise~~ said...

How sweet of you to share such personal experiences right down to the novel vegetable cutter. Thanks for sharing...

Anonymous said...

Courtney,
What an awesome vegatable cutter.
What an apropos verse
What an amazing feast

:)

Ivy said...

First time I saw this kind of a vegetable cutter.Looks great. Pigeons are considered a delicacy in Greece as well, although I wouldn't eat those lovely birds.

Unknown said...

I LOVE that cutter!! Too cool.... Thanks for sharing that with us!!

Anonymous said...

I also like the juxtaposition of the death and the birth. Again, I'm so sorry for your loss. But, wow! Would I have loved to have been at that party! The menu!!

Cynthia said...

You have to start hinting that CS get you a camera.

Jeanne said...

What a great post - you really summed up the "circle of life" thing well. I rememebr hearing on the same day a couple of years ago that a good friend had passed away from cancer, and another old friend was pregnant. At moments like that you do see that there is a cycle and we are only a small part of it. Love the Chinese symbol cutters btw!

Gabi said...

Seems life is hitting you from both ends this week :) The Ecclesiastes quote is so true. We've been to a few Vietnamese friend's wedding with similar menus where they placed us at the non-Vietnamese table. I think they thought we'd all be more comfortable. We did get the pidgeon (complete with heads and talons) and it was really delicious! Some of the guests at our table did balk at it though. They were freaked out by the steamed whole fish too but it was seriously the best I've ever tasted.
Love to you my friend xoxoxo

Núria said...

Hola sweetie! I thought I had left a comment here... and now I don't see it... I wish I found here this beautiful cutter, I'd love to give shapes to the food.
I already tried with icecubes :D

I'm having a party, would you like to come?

Emily said...

CS give her her camera back!

The buffet sounds delicious.

I can't help but think that you're foreshadowing something...talk of kids...and life beginning. You know? Am I the only one that thinks that?

Chibog in Chief said...

this is a wonderful post!! there is really time for everything :-) ceer up dear !!! btw that chinese banquet seemed really awesome!!

Anonymous said...

There's nothing preachy about that verse. It's a favorite simply because it's beautiful. You're a good person...