Oh, don’t ask me why, near on twenty years ago, I decided to do a menu inspired by Endymion, a youth of Greek mythology who slept forever. Some versions say it was the granting of a boon from Zeus, Endymion wanting to sleep eternally in order to maintain his youth, other versions have it that the youngster attempted to bed Zeus’ wife, Hera, and the long nap was a punishment. The poem is from John Keats, with my name filling in for the original “Dion”.
Second Sunday Supper Circle
The Endymion Dinner
December 14, 1997
Who, who from Dan’s feast would be away?
For all the golden bowers of the day
Are empty left?
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Be careful, ere ye enter in, to fill
Your baskets high
With fennel green, and balm, and golden pines,
Savory, latter-mint, and columbines,
Cool parsley, basil sweet, and sunny thyme;
Yea, every flower and leaf of every clime,
All gather’d in the dewy morning.”
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Two liquid pulse streams ‘stead of feather’d wings,
Two fan-like fountains, -thine illuminings
For Dan play:
Dissolve the frozen purity of air
1979 Piper-Heidsieck Rare Champagne
1995 Selene Sauvignon Blanc
1993 Marc Rougeot-Dupin Mazis-Chambertin
1976 Jasmin Côte-Rôtie
1976 Château Pichon-Lalande
1988 Castello di Volpaia Vinsanto Val d’Arbia
