Night to Remember

Allan and I had the opportunity of a lifetime today. First off, we spent time picking vegetables and herbs in the organic garden at our hotel Cinnamon Lodge. Then at 7:45 tonight we met the executive chef Sunanda Kumar in the kitchen to watch and help him prepare the most amazing meal you can imagine. He had already prepared a mixed greens salad with quail eggs and passion fruit vinaigrette, as well as cauliflower soup. Then we assisted in making traditional Sri Lankan dishes: cucumber salad, mushroom tempered, wind bean sambal, chicken curry, prawn curry, ridge gourd white curry, leaves mallum, water spinach tempered, and three kinds of rice. We finally finished the preparation and sat down to eat around 10. Every dish was new and wonderful to us, and although some were a bit more spicy than I usually have, I thoroughly enjoyed the entire experience. We were personally attended to by Rukmal, one of the wait staff here, and Allan was more than happy to provide some dinner entertainment with his card tricks which they all thoroughly enjoyed! Finally, the pastry chef brought us a beautiful fruit tray, as well as two types of popular Sri Lankan desserts--and handmade truffles. How is it possible that we were fortunate enough to be the ones asked to participate in this gastronomic delight? Did they think we looked like big eaters? good entertainment for the staff? rich white guys? (Well, of course, we did have to pay for this privilege, but that's a minor detail.) Allan told the chef it was the best meal he's ever eaten. Wonder who's cooking for him when we get home ??