You see, my plan was to have a low-key, quiet celebration where CBB and I cook for a few friends I’ve been wanting to cook for and hadn’t gotten together with in a while. Add some family who are stopping through to top off the holiday season and quickly the numbers rise, but not to the level of many 50th mega-celebrations. Bill and I will cook, a few toasts may be offered, and we’ll all go quietly. Hardly. Like George Bailey of Bedford Falls, my plans were supplanted by seminal forces beyond my control…

I love mustard and I keep several kinds in the fridge: dijon, whole grain, Chinese hot, spicy brown, deli, and yes, plain old bright yellow. Dry mustard is another good thing to have in your spice collection, and making your own is a rewarding experience, if you have some time.

All the rage in New York and Hollywood, the personal chef is alive and cooking here in li’l old Richmond. At an obscene fraction of the cost of our big city counterparts, the Comfort Brothers, bold as they are, are inviting themselves into your dining room. A unique dining experience, Jim and Bill transform your home into your own private restaurant for an evening. No driving, no parking, no walking outside, no waiting, no noise from other parties, no unlucky draw on the wait staff, nothing cold that should be hot, no running into someone you don’t want to see. You set the menu, you set the décor, you set the mood, you set the time, you set the dress code and invite whom you wish. We do the rest. And we do it well.

Add com-pel-la-tion, n. a spontaneous public statement or speech compelled by an experience or feeling. v. compellate. As we invent tasty dishes, from time to time the Comfort Brothers will also invent language. Why not? If there is need, and not a suitable word in the English language to fit, then make one up! That’s how language is created, as well as a great recipe.