Master chef boy Kalib shows up carrying his spatula, then whips up some chocolate chip cookies; his little brother falls asleep

Late yesterday morning, master chef boy Kalib showed up carrying his spatula. He was ready to cook.

Soon, he was mixing dough to bake chocolate chip cookies. 

He spread flour across the counter top, and then discovered that if he whipped it off the counter and into the air, the flour spray would glow in the sunbeam that shone through the window.

He had already put in the white sugar - now it was time for the brown.

He did some of the steps out of order, and did not follow the recipe closely, but that is the kind of thing that master chef boys do.

His grandma poured vanilla extract into a measuring spoon.

Kalib had to be certain that this task was done right, so master chef boy took the measuring spoon from his grandma and applied the vanilla to the pre-dough concoction himself. 

He used a potato masher to mix everything together.

Then his mom showed up with an electric mixer as little brother Jobe drifted past the picture of little brother Jobe than hangs on the refrigerator door.

Before I continue - I must emphasize that Jobe also did something pretty darn spectacular during this visit, but I can only stuff so much into one post and so I am saving Jobe's accomplishment for another day.

Kalib stood ready with his mixing fork, just in case his mother did not do such a good job with the electric mixer.

Kalib added more flower and such to the mix.

Kalib checked to be certain that there are no frogs in the mix. A frog would spoil the cookies.

Then it was time to add the chocolate chips. So Kalib added one.

Then he ate a chocolate chip.

Next, he ate another chocolate chip.

To make it easer for him to dump all the chocolate chips at once, his dad put the chips in a bowl. Kalib extracted one and ate it.

Then he extracted another and put it into the mix. At his rate - three chips, one at a time, into Kalib for every chip, one at a time, into the mix, it was going to take a long time and these cookies were going to be sparse on chocolate chips.

The process of applying the chips was taking so long that Jobe grew tired and weary. He began to yawn. His mother tied him into his cradle board, where he promptly fell asleep.

Somehow, a number of chips sufficient to make cookies made it into the batter. Kalib assigned the menial task of placing the dough onto the cookie sheets and into the oven to his father.

When the cookies were done, Kalib ate them himself. Every last one. He teased his dad with this one, pretending that he was going to let him take a bite, but devoured it before Dad could.

Maybe I exaggerate a little bit.

Maybe Kalib shared the cookies with the rest of us.

Maybe we enjoyed them, because it is fact that they were damn good.

Maybe I ate more than I should have.

Maybe I still feel the excess chocolate chip cookies weighing down my tummy.

Probably not, but maybe.

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The wedding - setting the stage, part 2: the chefs

You are looking at a master chef. Absolutely. I cannot remember what this pancake-like bread was called, but I would soon eat some for my breakfast, not with syrup, but dipped in various sauces, all flavored by Indian spices.

Oh, my! So delicious! We would be fed two meals at the wedding, breakfast and dinner. Try to find such superb Indian cuisine anywhere among all the fine restaurants in New York City, San Francisco, Washington, D.C. ... I'm not saying it can't be done, maybe it can, but I have yet to sample it.

Were these guys to bring their magic to the right place in the US, what a success they could become!

How grand it would be if that place could be Wasilla!

Do you get the idea that I liked their cooking?

Preparing the food, # 1.

Preparing the food, # 2.

A culinary artisan.

Culinary artisans at work.

Cabbage in the process of being transformed.

Master strolls through his domain.

The cutting and chopping crew.

Head man of the cutting and chopping crew.

Three artisans with coconuts.

Breakfast still life.

Come breakfast time, the cutters become servers. Before you, you see my dish, but it is not a dish, it is a banana leaf. There is more food coming - much more. Being a mannerdly person, I will eat my breakfast with my bare right hand and so it will become very difficult to take any more pictures until I finish and wash my hands.

And the coffee! I miss it already.

Now, please note the quality of light that seeps through the windows, the softness yet contrast as light plays against shadow. I was thrilled to find such light and to be able to work with it. It was exactly what I wanted to have throughout the entire wedding, and I looked forward to having a good time with that light as it played off Soundarya and Anil and all that happened around them.

But, as it would turn out, I would have little opportunity beyond what you see here to make use of this light. With a few small exceptions, this would be it. 

In my next "setting the stage" post, you will find out why.