Malefic Diplomacy

Spring. Can you believe it? Maybe Old Man Winter hasn't completely let go yet, but a change is certainly just around the corner. Beatrix and Charlotte, both Europeans, sounded incredulous when they told us that just as winter is changing to spring, with all the changes that entails, whether you live in a city or like us, on farms and ranches, people like the infamous co-drafter of Bush's torture policies are ignorant of the changes occurring in Latin America. Strange, Max said, that Europeans have a better perspective of what is happening at our backdoor than do the incompetents in Washington who, at least since 2000, haven't been able to walk and chew gum at the same time. Oh, Max said, they can't even shoot straight.

Schuyler was busy at the drinks tray, mixing California Dreams, which he made with 1800 Silver Tequila, and Rosso and Dry Martini & Rossi vermouth. The chilly drinks tasted perfect because it isn't freezing outside the way it has been until just now. We did, of course, still have the fireplaces going, though not as hot as usual. Soon we'll start planting saplings to replace every tree we used for firewood throughout the winter.

We were anxious to return to the subjects Beatrix and Charlotte had brought up. Apparently, they said, Condosleezza Rice doesn't understand that at the core, her job is all about diplomacy. Both Beatrix and Charlotte felt she missed a good opportunity to begin a positive dialogue with Hugo Chávez, the democratically elected president of Venezuela. Both Chávez and Rice were in Chile for the inauguration of Michelle Bachelet, but Rice chose to snub Chávez, instead of doing what real diplomats have to do from time to time: shake the hand of someone they don't particularly like but whose friendship they ultimately need. As Europeans, they don't feel, and we all agreed with them, that the United States really can no longer afford to always be in a snit just because one country or another chooses not to kiss our behind.

Reasons for Engaging Venezuela
There are more reasons for dealing in a very friendly manner with Hugo Chávez and his Venezuela than for having him as an enemy. He is the leader of a vibrant country rich with petrodollars, and he is helping other Latin American countries end their subservience to U.S. banks and the International Monetary Fund. He has signed arms deals with Spain which have been heartily sanctioned by the Russians, and the Russians are investing heavily in Venezuela, which in turn is signing lucrative commercial deals with China. So, 'Sleeza could have done something to patch things up, but missed her one and only chance. The "coalition of the willing" is quickly becoming the Coalition of the Leaving, and frankly, we need all the friends we can get right now, not fewer. But 'Sleeza and her dark cohorts in the Bush Cabal can't do any better than to play the Biggest Maggot on the Gut Wagon of Iraq. Enough to choke a maggot, Charlotte thought.

Sad Anniversary, but Farmers Have to Eat
Yesterday was the third anniversary of Bush's unwarranted Invasion of Choice. A sad day, as the initial reason for it had nothing to do with humanitarian empathy for an oppressed people. Nevertheless, we still have myriad chores to accomplish on our farms and ranches and have to eat to see another day of hard work.

Tonight, a lot of the gang pitched in and even brought almost finished dishes from their own homes.

Shelley and Cathy brought some great hors d'oeuvres for us: instead of individual tartlets, they used halved new potatoes to hold a filling of Mexican Crema Fresca, North American whitefish roe, and chive sprigs. Wonderful way to begin dinner, especially with the magnificent González Byass Fino Sherry Shelley and Cathy served in some new glasses they brought over, Riedel's Sherry Glass No. 416/60.

Sagidah and Rania cooperated in the preparation of tonight's soup, Cherry Chenin Soup, which they paired with Dry Creek Vineyard's excellent Chenin Blanc. The soup was perfect and the wine paired beautifully with it since the soup and the wine-pairing were dreamed up by Dry Creek Vineyard's own chef, Kevin McKenzie.

Max and Charlotte prepared a devilishly good dish, Cilantro-Lime Braised Red Snapper. They brought some bottles of good Sauvignon Blanc, the 2005 Ferrari-Carano Fumé Blanc. They served the fish with beautifully cooked Arborio rice with a butter sauce with a perfect hint of garlic. Their cooking always guarantees that the next day all of us will be productive farmers and ranchers, even if the people at the feed store don't understand why we need such "fancy" meals.

After dollops of Watermelon-Tangerine Sorbet, Max and Charlotte brought in the meat course that Max had been grilling on the Viking grills out on the porch. His Grilled Lamb with Roasted Mint and Garlic Sauce plated with roasted fingerling potatoes and perfectly steamed spinach served with drawn butter went very well with another wine they brought, some prized 2001 Sbragia Family Gino's Vineyard Dry Creek Zinfandel. O.K., now we know we'll get in a good day of work tomorrow.

Marie Christine spent a good while making some Brandied Plum Tarts that they had always made at her family's home in France. She knew that small snifters of Courvoisier would be a good accompaniment to the tarts, as her family has been making that pairing for generations.

Winding Down
Good conversation, good company and food, and the prospect of better and better weather. A thoroughly enjoyable day. Max was busy preparing espresso for us in a new espresso machine he had just received. His old, beautiful solid brass machine just wasn't capable of making enough cups of espresso, so he ordered a grand new one from Sur La Table, one made by Breville, the Australian manufacturer.

Shortly before leaving for the evening, Liz told us that Dark, Torturing Condosleezza was instituting a policy of "inoculation" to curb Chávez, and asked other countries to see if they could catch him in any non-democratic activities. Yes, Liz said, like that nasty woman actually believed in democratic activities? Oh, Liz said, and on diplomacy, there's a very simple thing La Rice could have done at President Bachelet's inauguration, and that is to have followed Sir Winston Churchill's dictum: "It is better to jaw-jaw than to war-war." But then, of course, you have to remember that Churchill was a statesman and not a goon.

Summary
Latin America is just right down there. This ghoulish administration, of course, has chosen to ignore it, so Latin America is turning to new partners, forging strong bonds that the U.S. will one day regret. China is "the sleeping dragon" waking up to find that it, Russia and Europe find a lot to like in Latin America, where the U.S. is intentionally losing partners and friends. Hugo Chávez is nobody's lap dog, and according to La Rice and the other ghouls, if you're not the U.S.'s lap dog you're dog meat. Wrong, Bubba.