October 15th

"We had dinner and went to bed early." - Jonathan Harker (pg. 369)


Indeed! I think we turned in at something like 11:30 PM. It was about time I got some goddamn sleep for once. It's as though the Vampire's curse is lifting as I conclude the book.

"Dinner" was merely a bowl of Wild Mushroom and Brie Cheese Bisque; which doesn't sound like much, but on a cold autumn day when you're not very hungry can be just right.

October 5th

"When we met at early breakfast there was more general cheerfulness than any of us had ever expected to experience again." - Jack Seward (pg. 355)

Oh well that's quite a mouthful isn't it Jack? Must have been a pretty fucking good breakfast then huh? Good enough to mention what was served?

No.

Therefore once again I can only conclude that our heroes had a breakfast of Cinnamon Caramel Bread Pudding.

It was good, but I certainly didn't experience more cheerfulness than I had ever expected to experience for the rest of my entire life.

Please bear in mind that there won't be any posts until at least October 15th. At this point in time towards the end of the book entries become shorter and less frequent.

October 4th

"'Ask me nothing as yet. When we have breakfast, then I answer all questions.'" - Professor Van Helsing (pg. 347)



I was fortunate enough to be taken out for breakfast by two good friends: Adam and Abby. It's rare that I enjoy breakfast, much less take it in the company of friends. Our heroes in Dracula are dining together all the time at "our friend Jack Seward's" house.

Well we had breakfast at Al Vento, a neighborhood Italian restaurant. I had never been or even heard of it, but Adam and Abby like to go as often as they can. They had a nice brunch buffet that included all that you'd expect from a breakfast buffet only everything was a little classier and a little more Italian. They also pour all the mimosa you want.

Just like the professor we all had many questions to answer being that we hadn't gotten together for some time. It was an interview. Interview With The Vampire.

October 3rd

"We had a sort of perfunctory supper together, and I think it cheered us all up somewhat. It was, perhaps, the mere animal heat of food to hungry people - for none of us had eaten anything since breakfast - or the sense of companionship may have helped us; but anyhow we were all less miserable, and saw the morrow as not altogether without hope." - Dr. Seward (pg. 340)


Kind of a half assed update I'm afraid. None the less this was in fact my supper and I did enjoy it with guest and I do feel better about tomorrow as a result. To explain this mess of food in a pie tin:

Polenta, roasted carrots, flat iron steak medallions, portobello mushrooms, and a single sea scallop.

When you work at a restaurant sometimes your meals don't make sense, but taste delicious none the less. Tonight my wife was awake due to it being a weekend, and my friend and co-worker Natalie and her GF Amanda joined us for a late dinner/wine/tea/evening of conversation

So it was all pretty sweet.....but none the less I'll try and do better tomorrow. When fighting an immortal adversary one cannot waste time on half-assed updates.

October 1st

"I found Thomas Snelling in his house at Bethnal Green, but unhappily he was not in a condition to remember anything. The very prospect of beer which my expected coming had opened to him had proved too much, and he had begun too early on his expected debauch." - Jonathan Harker (pg. 287)



Jonathan Harker just can't stop running into blue collared workers who just want to get fucked up on his dime! Excuse me.....his sovereign.

And I just can't stop wanting to get fucked up as a result of my hard days labor either. Indeed my employers often keep me pacified and cooperative with gifts of wine and beer. Such was the case this evening when I was sent home with not one, but TWO Bell's TWO hearted IPAs.

September 30th

"'Lord Godalming, I had the honour of seconding your father at the Windham; I grieve to know, by your holding the title, that he is no more. He was a man loved and honoured by all who knew him; and in his youth was, I have heard, the inventor of a burnt rum punch, much patronized on Derby night." - Renfield (pg 268.)


Well! This is the first entry I've encountered that has mentioned a specific dish...or in this case: drink! Needless to say I was very excited! A number of recipes were yielded on the internet, all of them presumably created by enthusiasts of Dracula and Dining alike....but I decided to follow a simple rule that any gentlemen of distinction (such as myself or Arthur Godalming's father) would be inclined to follow.

One of sour, Two of sweet, Three of strong, and Four of weak.

Beyond this I added cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, anise, and additional lemon zest for seasonal flavors.

The results?

Just ask my neighbors! They all came over for a quick cup and were likely impressed and delighted by this simple, but delicious drink.

September 29th

"Their tally was exact with the list, and they had nothing to add except that the boxes were 'main and mortal heavy,' and that the shifting them was dry work. One of them added that it was hard lines that there wasn't any gentleman 'such-like as yourself, squire,' to show some sort of appreciation of their efforts in a liquid form; another put in a rider that the thirst then generated was such that even the time which had elapsed had not completely allayed it. Needless to add, I took care before leaving to lift, for ever and adequately, this source of reproach." - Jonathan Harker (pg. 249)

I think that's one of the funniest passages in the book. It happens AGAIN tomorrow when Jonathan goes somewhere else to inquire about the boxes. I can totally get behind what these guys were doing. If there's some rich bastard around that you can hit up for booze, by all means, hit him up!

It's quite likely that Jonathan allayed their thirst with some "Jack's Pumpkin Spice Ale" it of course being brewed in an insane asylum by his new friend Dr. Jack Seward. It's also likely that he served it in a "Vampire Bat" pint glass because he likes designs that coincide with current events in his personal life.