Had the temperature been a few degrees higher, we would probably be BBQing outside. Nevertheless, the cool weather was perfect for hotpot. I gather that most of you have seen our hotpot photos. If a picture is worth a thousand words, imagine being in one of our parties. Our rule is simple when we host a hotpot gathering - food aplenty and keep the flow going.
My wife had begun the prep work the day before. Food items were cut, chopped, diced, thawed...ready to be cooked and eaten. It was a matter of setting up the placemats and putting out the utensils. As DP and SP sat and relaxed, I began setting up the table. It was a relatively small gathering this time, only three other families were invited. Two hotpots were fired up shortly after 5 pm. The soup stock didn't take long to boil and soon I began dropping in ingredients.
One thing I really love about having hotpot is that you don't need to know how to cook. No recipes to follow, no flames to control and it's nearly impossible to burn anything. Our guests for the evening began to arrive. We introduced our friends to DP and SP. We all gathered around the table to enjoy the "small" feast. Our bowls were filled, emptied, and filled again, as we chatted. The spectrum of talk topics seemed endless. SP and one of our friends actually share the same alma mater, how about that!
DJT became all chocked at one point, not because of our excellent hospitality, rather, the 1/3 scoop of 麻辣傳奇 set her lips ablaze and put her in tears. Did I forget to warn her? Oops! Although wine didn't exactly flow but the soup from the hotpot sure continued. Our dinner lasted almost 3 hours, wait, there was more to come! Fruits & Desserts!! If you want to be fed, treat yourself to a restaurant. If you want to be well-fed, come to the Lus'.
As with all great parties that had to come to an end, this hotpot gathering was no exception. All of our friends have small children and they don't negotiate when they are tired. Slowly, one family after another, we saw them to their cars. When the steam finally cleared, it was close to 9 pm. The tag team began to go to work, it didn't take long before we had it all cleaned up. We chatted with DP & SP for a short while before DP excused himself and retired for the evening. We sat around the kitchen table and formed a small tea party with SP. When you have great conversations, you don't want them to end.
Unfortunately our guests had to hit the road fairly early the next day to begin their 500-mile trip back home. Cinderella's carriage had all but one hour to spare when we said "晚安" to SP. A quick shower made me fall asleep even faster. It was for sure an eventful day.
Captain Lu's log began early Sunday morning with a fresh pot of coffee. My wife wanted to fuel our guests before their departure, she picked up some breakfast items for them as well as our family. I knew DP couldn't wait to load up his cargo and head home. Shortly after breakfast I helped him with his new toys. Yup, my advice was correct, it took every square inch in the van's cargo area to hold the loot.
I gathered the kids and everyone in our living room for a couple of quick snapshots. "Have a safe trip home!", both my wife and I called out as DP & SP pulled back from our driveway.
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