Crater Lake

the sudden unprecedented blue could be understood
the spectrum pared away to leave only blue to dance with electrons
in the pure depths
but it could not be known
the blue brighter than Chartres
that drew the binocular gaze
irresistible but hard to see
the blue that stared back like the eye of some god
through the long lenses of the pilgrims
who climbed the lip of splintered rock to find
below the pointing pines a new angle on perfection
while the still blue entered to search among places
deeper than the lake
to sear with what lay beyond camera capture

(Ira's poem on a view that left me speechless)

Night Window, San Francisco

The Kentucky Potato Cake

I knew I got this chef's shirt for something. As soon as my plane touched down in Nashville I started racking my brain for ways to up my cholesteral level. The Kentucky Potato Cake doesn't have all four of the Southern food groups (sugar, fat, salt, whiskey) but it's decadent enough to be a contender. This recipe was passed down from the Watson side of the family, so it was probably consumed with bourbon.

Ingredients:

2 C sugar

1/2 C sweet milk

1 C butter

2 C flour

1 C mashed Irish potatoes

1/4 t soda

2 C pecans

4 eggs, beaten

5 T melted choc. or cocoa

1 t cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg (each)

pepper and salt

Directions: Cream the butter and sugar. Add finely mashed warm potatoes. Add eggs, well beaten, then the milk, melted chocolate, salt, pepper, and spices. Mix and sift the flour and soda. Cut the nutmeats fine and dredge with flour. Add the flour and nutmeats to the batter. Bake in layers in a moderate oven. This is a large cake. Bake in a 325 - 350 degree oven for about 25 minutes, possibly longer. Frost with boiled white icing.