In the Polish manner

Mount Evenlyn, Victoria, November 17, 2012—

TO THE HOME of the groom's parents for lunch today, a very festive and I thought rather formal affair. Bride and groom are honeymooning in Bali, as seems appropriate; this was the first family tête-à-tête since the wedding, a week ago, and Lindsey and I were there too, as visiting aunt and uncle of the bride.

Australia is a cosmopolitan nation, having welcomed a good many expatriates in the last few decades — my brother among them. And Melbourne is a sophisticated city. The groom's parents immigrated a number of years ago from Poland, looking for a better future than that country could offer back in the 1980s. They've done well, and enjoy an enviable life-style that includes a good cellar and a way with their country's cuisine.

We began with appetizers: sausage, cheese, pickled vegetables, and glasses of Mumm's. Then we moved inside for the proper meal. Marc smoked that salmon himself, very lightly: it was delicate and delicious. The cole slaw involved carrot, cabbage, and onions; the whiter slaw was a marvelous combination of apples and leeks, raw, tossed in a light mayonnaise. Potatoes with scallions round out the plate as you see it; they're cooked in a light vinegary stock — a warm potato salad, no doubt, but, again, light and summery, as befits the season.

Macon blanc, Louis Jadot, 2006; Chardonnay, Ardèche, 2006