Higher, Faster, Stronger, The Olympics at Buckingham Palace

We celebrated London and the upcoming summer Olympics with our Ides greeting June 16th.  Don and Janet organized competitions and medals were handed out.

OLYMPIC RINGS

1.  Slow Cycling Endurance - le tour de Beacon Hill - 5 metres whoever finishes last wins the gold
2.  Floatie Synchronized Swimming - pairs will compete on flotation devices to show off their best synch moves
3. Intergalactic Water polo - Beacon Hill residents vs. The Rest of the Known World of IDES
4. Ubermodern Duathalon - Watermelon seed spitting and swallow end of pool triple jump
5.  Linguistic Gymnasitics - The Olympic Committee pretentious wine tasting competition

Bernard won the Slow Cycling Edurance, the Bales won the Floatie Synchronized Swimming, the Intergalactic Water Polo was a tie and Jean-Claude won the Ubermodern Duathalon!  The Linguistic Gymnastics was a lot of fun but no winner was declared!

We had wonderful food.  Hors d'oeuvres were all needed for a Ploughman's lunch, cold cuts, pickles unions, gerkhins, deviled eggs, cheese.  Supper included cornish pasties, bangers and mash, lasagna and wonderful strawberry shortcake with freshly picked strawberries, freshly made jam, clotted cream and/or whipped cream! 

More pictures on Flickr! 

Lunch at Mariposa Farm - May 6, 2012

We had a beautiful day for our visit and lunch at Mariposa Farm.  Both the Wrights and Dextras-Barres travel the 45 km to the farm in Plantagenet every December 24th to buy the Christmas turkey.

Lunch was great with three choices, bison, lamb and duck.  We visited the farm, saw geese, duck, a sow and her piglets and the vegetable garden both outside and in the hot house.

The group just before going in to eat

Mariposa Farm offers foie gras

For more pictures, see Flickr album. 

Commemorative Titanic Dinner

Saturday April 14, 2012

Ides Commemorative Titanic Dinner

Today is the 100th anniversary of the last dinner served on the Titanic.  It sank in the night from April 14th to 15th.  The Ides Club held a dinner using recipes from the last dinner served on the Titanic on April 14th 1912. This is the menu served April 14, 2012.  There were 14 of us.  


Don surprised us with fresh Malpeque and Beausoleil oysters to sample with the bubbly provided by Michèle and Jean-Claude.  Don had kindly shucked the oysters and provided some red wine vinegar, shallots and lemon with them. 

The Bales enjoyed them!

Don explained how to eat the oysters

From the First Class

hg

First course

Potage Saint-Germain
hg

Second course

Tournados aux morilles

Choux de Savoie braisé

hg

Third course

Vegetable Marrow farci

hg

Fourth course

Asparagus Salad with Champagne-Saffron Vinaigrette

hg

Fifth course

Chocolate-painted Éclairs with

French Vanilla Cream 

From the Second Class

hg

Curried Chicken and rice

Paul and Dan enjoying the oysters

Our Captain Jean-Claude and Jolene served the first course prepared by Jolene, Potage Saint-Germain.  
We had a very enjoyable evening. 

Captain's Table

Everyone dressed up

Every course was wonderful, quite a treat including the "2nd class" Curried Chicken and Rice that had a very unique taste.  There was not much left on plates at the end of the evening.

March 24, 2012 Dinner with Chef Phil

Saturday evening ten of our IDESTERS gathered at Dan and Colette's to enjoy a meal prepared by Chef Phil Wood.  We really missed Michèle & Jean-Claude, Bertrand & Aline and Jon & Debbie.

Our Menu worked out by Don and Phil.

1. Roasted Poblano Chowder with seared Shrimp & Scallop, Corn and Cilantro in a small glass bowl
2. Risotto a la Bronzini (Blueberry, Gorgonzola and blue poppy seeds) and greens on a plate
3. Farro grain Ragout with Duck Confit/Roasted Quail with Blackberry Coulis & blanched Rapini on a large plate.
4. Port Poached Fig with Jerepico* crème fraiche in a Martini Glass with some exotic Asian tasting "Granola"tossed on top .. carefully.

The players.. 

Oversight,

Chef Phil preparing Risotto

Expectant Chatter ..

Some good wines were enjoyed.

Chef Phil prepares the meal..
adding blueberries and Cambazola cheese to the Risotto. He ensures the scallops are just right

Marinated Quail with Blueberries

First Course: Roasted Poblano Chowder 

  

 Second Course: Risotto a la Bronzini 

Two Quails each with Farro and Rapini

Adding the Granola

Much thanks to the Wrights for Hosting this fantastic evening and to Chef Phil for introducing us to some amazing new flavours. It was great.


We had some good wines.. I will leave it to the purveyors of the wine to comment on what they brought and when it was drunk.