CARD NIGHT : CANASTA

IT MIGHT SEEM STRANGE TO START THIS POST WITH A CAKE RECIPE BUT IT’S JUST A PREPARATION FOR THE CARD NIGHT WHERE CARDS, MERRIMENT, DISCUSSION AND FOOD ARE THERE. THE RECIPE, PISTACHIO CARDAMOM BUNDT. (MARTHA STEWART CAKE PERFECTION)

PREPARATION

BUTTER AND SUGAR MIX

MIXING BATTER

INTO THE PAN,

COOLING, OUT OF THE OVEN

BEVERAGES TO BRING. DRIZLY DELIVERY

WE’VE ARRIVED AT THE DESTINATION FOR CANASTA, DOOR TO DOOR BY UBER, CHEERS!

BEFORE THE CARDS ARE DEALT

OUR VERY GOOD FRIENDS MADE THIN CRUST PIZZA FROM THE GRILLE, ADDED THE PICKLED JALAPENOS MY WIFE MADE FOR AROMATIC HEAT EVEN THOUGH WE ARE IN A HEAT WAVE SUMMERTIME CLIMATE SHELTERING IN AIR CONDITIONED SPACES

THE CARDS ARE DEALT ………………… IT’S GUYS VS GALS TEAMS (MARKERS ARE TO SIGNIFY WHO PICKED UP FROM THE DISCARD PILE FIRST TIME WITH A NATURAL PAIR) HOUSE RULES : GAME TO 5000, NO MELDING OF BLACK 3’S

INTERMISSION… CAKE TIME, NOT BAD, GOOD TO TRY DIFFERENT RECIPES. IT’S BASICALLY A POUND TYPE CAKE RECIPE WITH A PISTACHIO GLAZE. THAT’S IT FOLKS

Welcome to canasta !

“Welcome to Canasta” was a phrase often heard from a computer game that was played back in the days of DOS and floppy disks. Many, many, years ago before the PC was a required appliance, we as children, learned to play Canasta , usually on Sunday afternoon. Generations of my friends family would gather around the kitchen table and I was expected to enter the game as this card game could accommodate teams, usually split 2 or 3 to a team. The rules were quickly learned as a mis step would result in friendly banter.

What does this have to do with a food blog ? More than not, food is served, some times the games would follow Sunday dinner. The years passed, gradually wives , and the next generation, and friends would also be educated in the play. For years my wife and I and my friend and his wife, play the men (“Manly Men”), against the women Canasta teams. Do to hectic schedules of work we make it a point to still get together for a friendly game. This particular evening, 2 games , to 5000 each, resulted in a split , one for the ladies and one for the men.

Now back to the food,
Here, my friend made pizza on the grille, and served along with crackers , perhaps I will blog the pizza recipe and process in the future.

pre game table
home brews for the game.