PHOTOGRAPHE OU CHEF?

Last night I was upgraded to a big boy air mattress. Mark turned his office into a temporary guest room for me. I was rather grateful for this sleeping situation. Whenever I get a bed that is larger than the length of my body and four walls with a roof, I am freaking fortunate. Camping is great, but you genuinely appreciate this luxury when it is not readily available. This upgraded resting arrangement led to sufficient sleep. However, I did have to get up early.

Mark's roommate/girlfriend/whatever had requested my presence for a photo shoot with her and a business partner. They plan to launch a new website and need fresh photos. After coffee and a banana, we met at Camel's Back park for the shoot. It was a marvelous experience, and I managed to get many magnificent frames. Afterward, we made our way to one of the best coffee spots in town. Some have argued that it is the best coffee in all of Idaho. The owner is Israeli, having spent time in France. We spoke a little French as I requested a double shot of espresso and a croissant. Unfortunately, the espresso was bitter and did not meet my flavor standards. I will admit that it was chock-full of caffeine, and I had an incredible boost to my day. The croissant was seriously satisfying. 

When we returned back to base camp, I began to edit the photos. When I finished, Ashalome took me to the Verizon store, where I traded my water-damaged tablet in for a newer model. It was time for an upgrade anyway. We returned, and I spent a few hours working on TEFL assignments. Mark's brother was coming into town tonight for dinner with his wife and daughter. This was their first time visiting Mark in his Idaho establishment, and we had to do our best to impress. The only skill I had to offer was my culinary abilities. Missing the kitchen, I quickly volunteered to prepare the flavors for the evening. I raided the fridge and had Mark pick up a few extra ingredients.

The appetizer course was absolutely exquisite. For carbs, we had french baguette slices, wheat crackers, and stoned wheated crackers. The cheese portion included cheddar melange, a brilliant blueberry goat cheese, and a sharper cheddar. Add on some tomatoes slathered with oil, feta, spices, cilantro, and thinly sliced garlic. There was hummus with jalapeño chips crunched atop. I made my homemade guacamole as well. We also enjoyed pickles and black olives. There were plenty of potent flavors for starting the evening. 

After chatting for a bit, I retreated to the kitchen to prepare the main course. My menu for this evening included pan-seared chicken, roasted carrots, zucchini, mushrooms and garlic, pureed cauliflower, and sauteed bell peppers. I undoubtedly fell back on some of my routine culinary skills, but they still worked like a charm. After completing our meals, we moved outside to the back porch. 

Ashalome was in charge of the dessert, and she prepared a chocolate fudge pudding topped with almonds. It was served with ice cream, and Mark plucked some ripe raspberries from the bush nearby. My tastebuds were extremely satisfied throughout the entirety of the evening. After a few more drinks, Mark's family left, and we cleaned up the remnants of the get-together. It was late, but I did a little more TEFL work. Tomorrow, I have zero pressing obligations, and sleeping in will be allowed. My time in paradise is ticking away, for soon, the road will call out for me.