Pig roast

I generally refrain from writing about meals prepared by friends because an invitation to dinner is not really about the food -- it's a generous act of hospitality and "reviewing" the actual meal would be ungracious.

But this 60th birthday party thrown by friends in central New York state was more of a public feast than a private dinner and can be an exception to the rule. The idea of roasting a whole pig has something innately festive about it and our hosts' locavore approach to the whole party made it a celebration of a lifestyle in this area.

The pig, they wrote in the invitation, was growing in a field next door and was to be expertly cooked by a neighbor. A mushroom farmer just over the hill was to supply the vegetarian option in the form of mushroom burgers. A local cheesemaker, a native of the Netherlands, was providing a whole wheel of cheese. The beer was from a local craft brewery. The corn was picked the same day at a local farm and shucked just before cooking. Flowers were harvested at another local farm.

The pig was roasted in a large rusty smoker specially designed for the purpose over dried applewood logs and kept moist with a carefully tended drip pan full of water. It roasted from 5 in the morning till 2 in the afternoon, when it was removed and expertly carved by an enthusiastic crew. The buffet table had several salads along with the carved pork and corn and cheese, the beer was excellent, the weather was perfect, the music was great and it was a real feast! Who ever thought 60th birthday parties could be this much fun?