He really is a restaurant chef..and shows it in his style of cooking for us. 2 days ago we had asparagus with red wine and orange jus, venison and chicken sausages on side, a rustic fruit tarte made with soft light buttery crust he made from scratch and filled with mango, apple, pear and cantaloupe garnished with fresh thyme. (This is more French, though canataloupe didn't do much).

Tonight he's making from scratch: olive bread, garlic bread, seafood boullabaise, a savoury apple tarte and I'm not sure what else. He's into a French cuisine kick these days. He got excited about the books I gave away from my book collection: a book about a guy learning craft of bread making in France, goat cheese farm explorations and an American woman who opens up a cooking school in France.

I'm trying to prepare myself...am recovering from 24-hr. flu.

His son made the plane trip to see his Oma (grandmother) who has become quite frail. In a way, it was a gesture of recognition where the inspiration of chefdom came from...his grandmother's fine German cooking and baking.

Orchid,

Sounds like you're in for a treat...hope your recovering tummy is up for the rich food.

Hope you all have a delightful visit.

Visit is one of those special, rare moments in time since he lives 4,300 kms. away. My partner is spending tons of time with him...in some key restaurants, bakeries and food shops.... And it is this short time, that every family wants to freeze its happiness forever in time.

I get a real kick seeing how much the cheffy-stepson has done with his life in a great way. He was high school drop-out. (in contrast to his sister who has a Master's in English Lit.) Didn't have interest in much reading. (I remember my partner asked how one could stimuate his reading interest. My answer: find a person's passion and that may guide him/her to read more.) So it's been a long, long journey for the 28 yr. young man. He now supervises a kitchen of 19 staff at a chic museum restaurant.

He is happily married with a bright young woman who is trying to carve her own career. Now he's gobbling up as much information about certain cooking/cuisine trends, etc.

When I first knew the children when they were teens, they hated sushi. Now, it's the hunt for the freshest, best sushi and sashimi in town at a good price.