Greetings from India

I am such a bad blogger that I didn't even tell you I was going to India. Things were pretty hectic preparing for the trip. We left on Tuesday 11/17 and I worked 12 hours the previous Sunday and Monday...what WAS I thinking? Mike is giving several presentations at the AMPICON meeting here in Hyderabad and I am spending today in the hotel room catching up on my Google reader with some very sketchy Wi-Fi. I have taken LOTS of pictures but can't upload them because we are using an MDACC laptop...also I didn't bring the camera cord! I am trying to upload a photo from my iPhone but am not sure that is going to work.

We flew into Delhi through Amsterdam and spent a few days there before flying on to Hyderabad. Yesterday we hired a car & driver to see the sights around the city. We went to some historical sites and then stopped a couple of places to shop. The first was a pearl shop (Hyderabad is the pearl capitol of India) and the second was a handicraft shop where I purchased a lovely pashmina wrap (for myself :-) and several silk scarves to give as gifts. I was pleasantly surprised when the driver asked if we would like to visit a "cloth" shop. I, of course, responded an enthusiastic "Yes!" and told Mike he could wait in the car with the driver while I shopped for fabric. Imagine my disappointment when we pulled up in front of a clothing store. I profusely apologized to the driver for misunderstanding him. Mike just smiled.

"What's for dinner?"

"Food."
"What kind of food?"
"Good food!"
If my children read this, they will recognize this conversation.

Well, we were in Chicago earlier this week and had better than just good food...we had FANTASTIC food at Topolobampo. I had the Adventurer's Tasting Menu. The pictures are from my iPhone, so they are not that great, but trust me, dinner and wine were fabulous!

*"Tostadas" de Atun y Erizo: Hawaiian ahi tuna carpaccio and fresh Maine sea urchin with crispy tortillas, fresh lime and roasted garlic mojo. Fried leeks, avocado, sungold tomato. (Wine pairing: 2008 Sitios De Bodega "Con Class" Verdejo, Rueda, Spain) *Mollejas de Ternera, Mole Verde: "Popcorn" sweetbreads with green pumpkinseed mole. Roasted local turnip, fried plantain, Bayless Garden microgreens. (Wine pairing: 2008 Brander "Cuvee Natalie" Santa Ynez Valley, California) Cachetes de Halibut con Flores de Calabaza: Pan-seared halibut cheeks with creamy squash blossom sauce. Fresh shell black beans, garlicky "wilted" spinach, Oaxacan string cheese, tortilla crunch. (Wine pairing: 2006 Vincent Giradin Mersault "Les Narvaux" Cote D'Or, France) *Mole de Olla: Rich, red chile-and-epazote broth with 72-hour-braised Tallgrass short rib. Corn masa dumplings (chochoyotes), xoconostle (sour prickly pear) green peas, chayote. (Wine pairing: 1997 Terreno Chianti Classico Riserva, Tuscany, Italy) Mesquite, Peras, Manzana, Chocolate: Warm, nutty mesquite-bean cake with cajeta (goats milk caramel). Negra Modelo-poached Klug Farm pears and apples, dark beer chocolate. (Wine pairing: NV Campbells Rutherglen Tokay, Victoria, Australia)

The restaurant was very busy, crowded and noisy and the server was very scripted, but we still enjoyed our evening very much.