Persimmon dilemmas and Poetry reading at Nascondiglio di Bacco

My persimmons had finally ripened after spending an eternity locked in a sack with apples to speed up the process.  As a persimmon novice, I thought it was time to pick them when the leaves fell off the tree, but no, you need to wait until they are soft.  I had thought to make persimmon cookies but feel much to short on the ingredients called for, especially shortening, so I switced to persimmon pudding.  It must be some distant cousin to bread pudding, only twice as good and spiked with brandy and with a brandy whipped cream sauce on top, it is deadly. (http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Mrs-Reagans-Persimmon-Pudding/Detail.aspx)
We were honored to have Carlos Sanchez and 15 guests at Nascondiglio di Bacco for the launch of his new book called La Poesia, Le Nuvole e L'aglio which translates as the poetry, the clouds and the garlic.
It was entertaining for everyone as you might imagine from the title and many of the guests read the poetry as well as our protagonist.  I searched out some good cheeses and cured meats from our area and made some bread and mulled wine for appetizers afterward and hopefully made a good impression.  Passa parola or word of mouth is one of our strongest publicity machines.
Getting everything ready for my voyage to the states: 8 liters of oil, 6 pairs of "Wild Shoes" and not much else will fit in the luggage.
I am watching the forecast and it looks good for KC while I am there with clear weather and snow coming to the Vail/Beaver Creek area for skiing.   I can't wait!
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