Toshiko Takaezu and Beato (Beatrice Wood)

Here's a sweet photo of Toshiko giving Beato a throwing lesson, at Beato's studio. I took this in the 80's. Toshiko was at Happy Valley in Ojai, California, teaching for a couple of days and we went to visit Beato who asked Toshiko for this spontaneous throwing lesson.

Jim and I had a lovely vegetarian dinner with Beato and Toshiko and the Heinos that week. Beato's dinner set was glazed with all her amazing, luster glazes. Beato burned the paneer, but Vivika saved the day by adding sugar to it. Then Beato's pecan pie didn't set; but Vivika saved the day again by taking out the filling and serving it over ice cream. I've since done the same thing - taken the basic ingredients of pecan pie filling, but omitting any thickeners, cooking it and serving it on top of ice cream. It makes a great dessert.

Today is going to be super busy. In a few minutes I'll start cleaning shrimp for tonights first course - shrimp in a cream,sherry, tarragon, mustard, and shallot sauce. Then mix up the bread crumb mix for the Rack of lamb Provencale. There are porcinis to soak and chopped that will be added to the potatoes au gratin, table to set, cutlery to polish and on and on. In other words, it's going to be an all day cooking and getting ready for dinner guests.

As soon as the sun comes up I need to see if my tarragon survived all heat and rain this year. My new little plant doesn't have enough leaves for the shrimp recipe.

I've had my first cup of tea - time to get dressed and clean shrimp.