A Smorgasbord Saturday

Yirko sure knows how to throw a party – his smorgasbord extravaganza on Saturday night resembled what I imagine cocktail parties of the ‘60s must’ve been like, with classy company conversing and snacking from small plates and toothpicks. I’ve always loved lounge music and big hair and think this type of event needs to be attempted more often. There was caviar with endives, smoked oysters, veggie meatballs and chocolate fondue – and the smorgasbord was a central gathering place for simultaneous chatter and sampling.

I’d been very excited about the Swedish theme, complete with an Ikea menu and Abba purring in the background, as it could be a chance to connect with my Scandinavian heritage. My great grandmother was a Danish emigrant – but other than aebleskivers and Dogme 95, I’m pretty ignorant about the region. This party had Glogg, fish-flavored cheese paste and marshmallow car-shaped candies called Ahlgrens bilar – and I got a little taste of where I came from. I watched the palm trees swaying outside and basked in the superficiality of thinking this could actually bring me closer to my distant relatives near the Arctic. More about the smorg from Yirko and Ben…

Then I was off to another event before wrapping up my evening: An art show opening at Foreign Family featuring the work of Hannah Stouffer. Amazing stuff in this collection. Her mix of traditional Asian drawing style, Dia de Los Muertos-like skeletons and renderings of Americana wildlife, including coyotes, moose and hawks, was splashed with avante-garde watercolor backgrounds. I thoroughly enjoyed all of it, even if I possess no legacy related to any of these.