(late September 2023)
(Listen to the prelude.)
One morning the Frau was eager to get out and about and I suggested we go to Goose Lake State Wildlife Area and she obligingly consented. I hadn’t been there since last summer so I thought it’d be fun to make a return trip to introduce her to the lovely vistas as well as the flora and fauna that call it home. Since we were looking for a leisurely stroll, the easy trail with only a single incline that qualified as even moderately steep fit the bill.
It was a cloudy morning but temperate. The poofy clouds diffused the sunlight and made for some pretty sights, though my camera wasn’t able to capture the real beauty of the scenes with sunbeams reaching down to gently caress the landscape.
Unlike my hike last year, we didn’t run into any other folks (or dogs) on the trail.
However, I did spy some interesting flora such as these berries which are, no doubt, highly poisonous to humans despite their alluring colors. They reminded me of raw coffee beans.
I’ve seen these pale berries before but don’t know what plant that is.
I followed a path through the tall grass down to the shore of Mud Lake which was littered with lily pads. I heard the frogs croaking but didn’t see any leaping around in the shallow water.
In addition to berries, there were some very pretty flowers. Are these daisies?
The trail at Goose Lake isn’t very lengthy and we didn’t walk the whole thing but it was nice to get out into the country to stretch our legs and get some fresh air.
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We also made a return trip to the North Side Farmers’ Market this month and were greeted by this fellow wielding multiple mallets per hand and he entertained shoppers on what I think was a vibraphone.
He must be a Gen Xer as he seemed to play mostly 90’s alternative rock. I’d swear he was playing "Black Hole Sun" by Soundgarden when I walked within earshot.
Looks at these chilies!
It being September, there were gourds. And ground cherries still sheathed in their husks.
This basket of rosemary made the stall it was at smell just delightful.
African eggplant? I wonder if it tastes different from the conventional eggplant that I am used to. And fresh okra. Perfect for gumbo.
The Frau bought some vegetables and chatted with a friend of hers who works at the market. I drank my coffee, ogled the colorful produce, and listened to some more tunes before slipping the busker a couple bucks.
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For our anniversary, my Frau and I went to a new restaurant called Sultan which features the flavors of Punjab. The flavors come in the form of small plates and the restaurant is, as far as I know, unique in Madison for being a no-tipping establishment.
I began my meal with a cocktail called A Night on the Silk Road which was comprised of Jaisalmer gin, saffron, rosemary, lime juice, fig syrup, orange bitters, and tonic. This was a $16 cocktail and I don’t think I’d ever had one that expensive before. Not being a big cocktail drinker, I indulge only once in a blue moon and, besides, $16 is something like 2.25 beers.
The drink was served in a martini glass that has been relieved of its stem and foot and so it sat atop a small bowl of popcorn. It was very tasty. Sweetly herbal but not cloying. The bitters, lime juice, and tonic added just enough tartness/bitterness to keep the sweetness in check and the gin got a boost with all of those extra herbs.
The Frau tends to go crazy at small plate restaurants. I think her logic goes like this: if every dish comes in small portions, why don’t we just order one of everything to make sure we get enough?
One time we were in Chinatown in Chicago and went for dim sum. By the end of the meal, the table at our booth did not have one square inch that was not covered by a plate or bowl. I think she ordered everything on the menu except the chicken feet as there were plates of buns and dumplings and chunks of meat and so on just everywhere.
We (i.e. – my Frau) ordered a feast that would have had Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan himself singing its praises.
At the top there a chicken leg in a brown sauce. I believe that was Murgh Shahi Korma, chicken cooked with cashew, pistachio, raisins, and cilantro. The dish down and to the left with a clean chicken bone was, if memory servers, Murgh Karahi – chicken in a tomato-yoghurt-cilantro sauce. (I deduced that “murgh” means chicken in Punjabi.) Both were rich and flavorful.
In the middle we have Kachumbar Salade, a cucumber salad in yoghurt and with pomegranate seeds. That panini/pasty thingy at the bottom was, methinks, a Keema Kareley Toastie which involves minced beef and bitter melon tucked inside a couple pieces of bread, toasted to perfection, and served with more cucumber salad but without the yoghurt. Not sure what you call that.
For dessert we splurged and had two. It was our anniversary, after all. The Frau ordered this, Kaddu Aur Naryal Ka Zarda.
Sweet basmati rice is gussied up with pumpkin, toasted coconut, maple syrup, almond, pistachio, and raisins. It was perfectly scrumptious and I really enjoyed the American touches to it.
I went with Shahi Tukray, a.k.a. – bread pudding.
As someone who loves pistachios, I was thoroughly delighted with their use throughout the meal. Yoghurt too. I really enjoy it in dishes where someone like me with a Central/Eastern European culinary bent would expect sour cream. We didn’t get anything exotic or old school such as a dish with brains but I really liked the use of what I think of as being American touches such maple syrup and squashes.
The bill was a bit over $100 but I haven’t done any cipherin’ to figure out what it would likely have been if the dishes weren’t priced with tips included. Not that it mattered as this was a special occasion (and my mother’s gift was footing the bill).
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Bonus photo. I did a double take when I saw this sign. Apparently the owner/chef is Mexican but cut his cooking chops at Chinese restaurants around town. In my estimation, they have the best Americanized Chinese food in town. Nothing tasted like it came from a can courtesy of Sysco; the hot & sour soup wasn’t a gelatinous mess and portions are generous. A twist on the normal seasoning here, a fresh taste there. Good stuff.
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