small damages: the food photo essay (in anticipation of the launch party)

And so I realized that my Small Damages launch party (at Radnor Memorial Library, this Wednesday night, 7:30) is but a few days away.  And so I began to tremble.  I hadn't prepared.  I hadn't sat down and thought it through.  I have nearby friends coming, not to mention a certain Patti Mallett, who is making the journey from quite a long way away.  I could not afford to get up there and wing it.

I dedicated this afternoon to making sure that I didn't wing it.

There will, as everybody knows, be cake.

But there will also be a tour of my Estela's kitchen.

Can you guess what this ingredient is?