Today is a rather crazy day for me: I’m busy cooking for twelve people for a dinner party tonight. (Since Craig Biddle is in town for two lectures, we’re hosting a relaxed evening for him and various Front Range Objectivists.) I’m highly organized when I cook this much food because I make and keep a fairly rigid schedule. Due to that careful planning, I was able to squeeze in a quiet cross-country ride on my mare Tara. But now it’s time for me to return to the kitchen, as I have a dessert to make!

Just for fun, here’s the menu:

Appetizers:

• Cheese, Crackers, Salami, and Olives

  Dinner:

• Fresh Ham with Apple Cider and Brown Sugar Glaze
• Green Beans with Buttered Bread Crumbs and Almonds
• Maple-Orange Mashed Sweet Potatoes
• Baby Greens with Fresh Apple and Parsley Dressing
• Brown Bread

  Dessert:

• Coffee Pudding Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream

  Everything but the brown bread is a Cook’s Illustrated recipe, of course.