FOOD, GLORIOUS FOOD! Fishducky Friday

    Well, I have another signing in SLC today.  I'm super excited.  You can find info about that HERE.
     Now, Fishducky, take it away. 

FOOD, GLORIOUS FOOD!   

Finally—a subject I can really sink my teeth into!  With lots of pictures--I love putting in pictures!!  (The first paragraph is sort of on the subject.)

Years ago, when we were in Paris we passed a dress shop that had a 3’ cloth strawberry pillow as a window decoration.  Our friends who lived there were very fond of strawberries & we knew they’d love this pillow, which we wanted to give them as a gift.  The shopkeeper said it was a window decoration & not for sale.  We told her we knew that, but we were willing to pay her very well for it.  She repeated that it was not for sale.  Bud asked her what if Pompidou (France’s president at the time) wanted it—wouldn’t she sell it to him?  He intended to continue telling her Pompidou wasn’t coming so she should sell it to us, instead.  He never got that far.  At the first mention of Pompidou, she exploded!  We left the shop in fear for our lives.  We should obviously choose our political references with more care.

Did you know the singular of spaghetti is spaghetto?  No particular reason for this picture—I just like it!

On our first trip to Boston, a friend told us we HAD to have the clams at Legal Sea Foods.  I’d never had clams before & I had some trepidation, but I thought I’d try them.  I’d eaten about half my order when I was full.  They were SO good--& I couldn’t bring the rest to our hotel—that I took about a half hour for a cigarette break & then I finished them.  YUMMY!!

    My husband & I were out driving & he asked me out to dinner.  He said we could go anywhere I wanted.  Being a smartass, I said, “The Sands!”  He asked me if I was serious & I told him I was.  We went to the airport & caught the next flight to Vegas.  He’s lucky he wasn’t Hagar!!

     

    We were at the Lahaina Broiler (in Hawaii) & I was looking at a menu while we were waiting to be seated.  They offered turtle soup, which I had never had.  I wondered aloud how it would be.  A gentleman sitting right next to where we were standing said, “It’s delicious—I always have it when I’m here.  Would you like to try mine?  I haven’t touched it yet.”  I did--& he was right!  When we got to a table, I ordered my own bowl.  It was every bit as good as his.

     Some quick stories about our daughter, who wishes to be be NAMELESS:  When Nameless was a little girl, one of her favorite foods was, as she pronounced it, hickey noo noo hoop.  Following is a translation:

A few years later, she was helping me clear the dinner table.  She had watched me sweep the crumbs off the table with one hand & catch them in my other hand, which was beneath the edge of the table.  She did it exactly the same as her mommy, with one teeny tiny exception.  She didn’t use her other hand.  I just talked to her about it.  She says she did it on purpose—the thought of brushing crumbs into her hand grossed her out.  Oh, well, the carpet needed vacuuming, anyway.

Matt was our least picky--& sloppiest--eater.  He would eat anything except lima beans.  It’s a good thing our dog, who (for some reason) always sat next to him at meals, loved them!

Our kids are about 2 years apart, with Blake being the youngest.  When he was about 2 we hired a Japanese woman as an au pair.  (Thank you, Bud, for making enough money to spoil me!)  Her first night, she cleared the dinner dishes & brought in small cereal bowls filled with water & a couple of slices of lemon—finger bowls.   This was FAR from our usual lifestyle.  Blake took one look at the finger bowls & became very upset.  I asked him what the matter was & he cried loudly, “I DON’T WANT SOUP!!”   

Ours was the house where all of our kid’s friends hung out & felt comfortable.  I once found “Cocoa Puffs” written on my grocery list, which was on the refrigerator.  This was one friend’s favorite cereal.  That was fine, but what surprised me is that it was written in the friend’s handwriting!

The manager of our local supermarket saw us coming in about half an hour before closing time.  He had a date that night & knew it always took some time to shop for our family of 5—plus Cub Scouts & friends--& he didn’t want to be late, so he offered to help.  He took my list & tore it in half.  Off he went & did his half of our shopping.  We met at the checkstand, paid & everyone got out on time.

When people first come to the US, English—a difficult language-- is new to them.  They must be a little confused when their wait person (how’s that for being politically correct?) asks them if they want soup or salad.  It’s my native language, & when someone speaks quickly it sounds like “super salad” to me.

The not fat, but definitely too fluffy----fishducky