Marvelous souper intime Marianne gave Kristen and me last night: Roast lamb with a gravy that Marianne and I made together of roast-drippings, mint jelly, corn starch, wine, chicken broth, garlic, thyme and oregano; Kristen's little Klondike Gold steamed potatoes a' la Parisienne (halved, with the skins on, dotted with butter, sprinkled with parsley); boiled chard a' la Florentine (coarsely chopped, room temperature, well-drained, dotted with olive oil, sprinkled with salt and lemon juice); mellow Shiraz; Marianne's own world-class apple pie a' l'Americaine (with cheese); coffee. Verily, the spirit of Brillat-Savarin hovered o'er us, and we were charming and witty.