(Disclaimer: I wanted to post this Monday ~ Halloween ~ but my internet at home is out. Still have to pay for it . . .)
One should probably never write a food blog based on a book perhaps best known for vomit ~ though, I imagine, Daniel Tosh would dig it. I decided to forego The Exorcist, though reluctantly. I was 9 when the movie came out, and my mother was wise enough to tell me all the horrific details, then forbid me to watch it. I have still never seen it, though I have read it. Before reading it, I figured ~ by today's standards ~ it's probably tame.
O contraire!
It's just as disturbing and more perverted than I'd been told. (Whatever happened to Linda Blair anyway?) It's one of the reasons I got rid of all of my crucifixes but kept my anal ~ I mean, Rosary ~ beads.
Every Halloween week, I love to read thrillers, true crime or just about any doggone scary book. Last year, it was Vincent Bugliosi's Helter Skelter (which I am quick to point out, Charles Manson MIS-spelled at his Spahn Ranch compound.) The year before that, it was Coraline by Neil Gaiman. (The movie adds many details not in the book. I seriously recommend this animated movie ~ even to adults!)
This year, it's Spook by Mary Roach. The name alone spoke to me of ghosts and goblins and maybe a chainsaw or two. But ~ no ~ it's not a scary book. Disappointing as that is, it is still right up my alley. Roach is an intelligent ~ and damn funny ~ scientist whose god is science. Roach's book is subtitled "Science Tackles the Afterlife." Roach goes looking for proof of the soul in (of course) India, where reincarnation is studied and documented as true science.
Roach's first mention of food is bare bones. She ends up at the "best alternative to luxury," Hotel Alka in Dehli, which has elevators the size of phone booths, the carpets are clammy, the bellhops treat you like Hollywood elite and which serves the best vegetarian meals in India.
According to one particular friend of mine, "best" and "vegetarian" do not belong in the same sentence. Another close friend says I'm a great cook, but could never satisfy him with my meatless dishes. I point out there is protein available in veggie dishes. He only acknowledges the good taste, telling me, "NOT ENOUGH!"
My mother was raised on the meat and potatoes diet plan. She fed her family that way, too. But ~ occasionally ~ she went all veggie or else breakfast (pancakes, eggs or waffles with fruit) for supper. These meals seemed like gifts from the gods to me! (Can I, thus, blame my mother for my vegetarianism?)
Or should I blame the Daniel Fast?
When I was 16, the charismatic church I went to suggested all members go on a 40-day "Daniel Fast," while living prayerfully ~ probably praying for funds to buy the pastor a gold Cadillac ~ though I can't swear to that.
Friends and I took the challenge to heart. (Basically, if I'm challenged or told I can't do something, it's ON!) A Daniel Fast is all veggie and no meat or bread. The only thing I missed was bread ~ a concept I love, but don't eat very often.
Daniel's troops (conservative religious people always seem to be pro-war) were put on this same diet. The opposing army continued to eat all the carbs and dead animal flesh they wanted. Wouldn't you know it: Daniel's troops kicked ass.
I'm sure it was their diet and not the fact that they trained by lifting boulders . . .
This Daniel Fast occurred only years before I became a full-blown vegetarian. I think it was just in my (Tarot) cards. Ya think?
I lasted the 40 days ~ then ate all the bread and meat I wanted ~ only to find I really hadn't missed it so much. I preferred ATL 's Mary Mac's squash casserole. Their green beans. My mothers always-garlic-fresh salad. You most certainly don't have to agree with me, but you can at least agree these things are GOOD!
O ~ and reincarnation (or the soul, for that matter) cannot be definitively proven. Just in case you were wondering . . . We don't know what we don't know.
Some things you just have to take on faith.
RECOMMENDED PURCHASES
Spook by Mary Roach ~ "Science writing doesn't get funnier or more human than this," says reviewer Marta Salij of the Detroit Free Press. I love science ~ and I adore scientists who can make it interesting. Roach also wrote Stiff, which I haven't read. It's a book about the "lives" of cadavers. If it's as good as Spook, I want to find it!
What the Bleep Do We Know? This DVD set explores physics and sub-nuclear particles in a way that makes you think even while your brain is spinning in an attempt to keep up! One word: fascinating!
The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty ~ but only if you want to be grossed out.
Coraline the DVD ~ Neil Gaiman has almost created a horror sub-genre on his own. His writing is clear and spooky. He's almost the Tim Burton of literature.
O ~ and since I briefly mentioned Daniel Tosh ~ watch Tosh.0, unless you're weak of stomach and strong of morality!
Mary Mac's Tea Room prides itself in providing over 60 years of traditional Southern cooking. They are located at 224 Ponce De Leon Ave., NE, Atlanta, GA 30308-1938; ph. # ~ 404-876-1800.
RECIPES
Squash Casserole
1 # yellow squash, cut into disks
1 medium to large onion, diced
1 egg
½ cup sour cream
½ cup milk
salt, to taste
Bread or cracker crumbs
½ cup shredded cheddar
Steam squash and onion until just softened. Mix all the remaining ingredients in a bowl ~ except crumbs. Fold in squash, then add crumbs ~ enough to soak up some (but not all) liquid. Place in casserole dish, cover with cheese then foil. Bake at 425° until cheese is melted and casserole is bubbly. (Approx. 30 minutes.)
Country-Style Green Beans
I love crispy, crunchy, fresh green beans. But this is an easy play on the Southern green beans I grew up eating. (Older generations basically cooked veggies until they had almost no nutritional value. But ~ since they added ham hocks, bacon grease or other seasonings, the taste made up for the squishy texture.) This version is not as "squishy" as my grandmother's. An elderly woman I knew years ago taught me this quick way to achieve good tasting canned beans.
1 16 oz. can green beans, with liquid
salt, to taste
Bouillon cube of your choice; I use veggie, of course!
1 TBS vegetable oil
Place all ingredients in a pot and cook for 20 minutes. Easy enough!
Buttermilk Pancakes with Melon Compote
For pancakes:
1 ½ cups buttermilk
1 cup self rising flour
1 egg
Butter or spray (for pan)
Mix buttermilk, flour and egg together. (It's okay if it has lumps.) Butter or spray the pan, pour just enough batter to create about a 6" diameter disk. Once the sides are beginning to solidify and bubbles form on top, flip and cook the other side. Repeat until you have used all the batter.
For Compote:
½ Honeydew melon, chopped into bite-sized pieces; for a sweeter compote, use cantelope.
Water, if necessary
½ cup sugar
Place sugar and fruit into a saucepan and cook until the fruit softens. (Only add water if it is too dry.) You may want to adjust the sugar, depending on your taste. Once heated through and bubbly, remove from heat and serve over pancake instead of (or in addition to) maple syrup.
Mother's Garlic-Fresh-Salad
1 head lettuce, broken into manageable bites (Mother said to never cut lettuce; rather you should tear it with your hands. I cannot remember what her reasoning was, but I still do that to this day.)
½ onion, diced
1 tomato, diced
2 carrots, chopped into disks
4 green onions, diced
Mix all vegetables together.
For Dressing:
1 cup vegetable oil (I prefer olive or canola oil, but Mother always used veggie oil.)
Mix together well; the garlic will want to settle ~ so make sure you whisk, then immediately fold into large salad bowl with veggies. If you like garlic, this will become one of your favorites! I do not recall my mother ever buying dressing when I was young. This simple dressing was always GOOD ENOUGH! J (Does not keep well. The lettuce wilts overnight.)
No comments:
Post a Comment