Food
I used to love to cook. But with a full-time job and 2 little kids, it got to be too much of a pain. First of all, I worked in the evening and I had to get supper ready before I went to work....no mean feat, I assure you. Second, 'gourmet cooking' involves lots of fresh ingredients and it's hard to go to the grocery store all the time when you are working. Thirdly, my kids turn up their noses at things that are too exotic.
So, I became very uninspired and I threw together whatever was easiest. My family really didn't care but there were lots of nights that I brought what I had made to work and couldn't choke it down.
I'm not working right now and have been trying to find things to do with myself and I have rediscovered cooking. Since I have been off, I finally made Tamales. I've only been saying that I was going to learn to make them for about 7 years now! Tamales take an entire day to make. Or two mornings if you want to cook the meat one day and assemble them the next. They turned out to be pretty good for a gringo or a garbacha as my husband calls me, but next time I need to flavor the masa harina a little bit better...definitely needed salt!
I also finally managed to make pozole and have it turn out good. I've tried pozole lots of times and didn't have a good recipe so it didn't turn out right. It's hard to learn to cook things that use ingredients and cooking methods that you are not familiar with. So, as well as renewing my hobby of cooking, I have been traveling via my senses.
I visited India last week! I made chicken tandori! And it turned out pretty good! I couldn't put cardamon in it because it was $12 for a little bottle, but you know what? I may spring for it someday (or not)! I love Indian spices!
I also made a trip to Italy! I made steak brachiolli (please forgive my spelling errors, I don't feel like running and looking up the spelling.) And I made arborio rice to go with it. I told my husband that when the guys at work talk about what they had for supper that night, he could tell them that he had Steak Brachiolli, Arborio Milanese and a salad of crisp greens in a tangy vinaigrette dressing. He said that if he told them that he would never hear the end of it. I guess its one of those Real Men don't eat Quiche things or something.
I have also taken several nice trips to the French countryside and this week we are going to New Orleans to eat some Jambalaya. Anyone who wants to come over and eat...let me know. Give me a little bit of advance notice if you don't mind though.
Johnny Cash
EOTR often talks about Johnny Cash on her blog. I have never been a country music fan. I hate to say this about myself but I have been very close-minded about it. When I was younger, I just didn't think it was very cool! But since EOTR, whose opinion I respect, recommends him so highly, I've finally started listening. And I watched I Walk the Line the other night as well. And I have become transfixed! Not just with him, but with that entire era. I sat and watched videos last night. Hank Williams, Loretta Lynn, Jerry Lee Louis, Elvis and Patsy Cline. What have I been missing out on all of these years because of my small mind?
Why do I like them? Because were authentic I suppose. There's nothing that I can add to that, you either understand what I mean or you don't.
If you like this genre there is someone I would like to recommend. Her name is Maria Muldaur and the 2 cds that I would recommend are Waitress in a Doughnut Shop and Louisiana Love Song. There are not many like her. She's been around since the late 60's, and she has never gone commercial, that's why you may not have heard of her.
Also, while I am mentioning this I will also say that because of X-dell...I love Prairie Home Companion as well. I was also close-minded about that. I didn't really know what it was, I just didn't like the way it sounded. Silly huh!!! Listen to it sometime if you haven't. There is nothing else like it and it will make you laugh. But always with, never at. How rare is that? If you turn it on and it sounds weird at first, just keep listening. You'll get it!
Christmas
I don't care what anyone says about Christmas. I love buying my kids presents. I don't care if anyone thinks I'm shallow! I try to be careful about what I buy though, I want it to be useful. I'm almost done shopping, but I still have to wrap! Yuck! I hate wrapping presents!
Bellydance
I've decided, I don't think I will ever perform bellydance. Why? I don't like people to look at me. Why learn bellydance only to not ever let anyone see you dance. It doesn't make much sense, does it? And I really don't care. I just want to know how.
This was sort of fun!! I couldn't think of a post topic so I just blathered for awhile. I've sort of had writers block or something so this got me going again. Hope you all are well. I may do this again! (I thought of doing this after I read BBC's blog!!)
11 comments:
Your profile graphic is just so darn cute.
I enjoy cooking, I've always cooked. But I don't get into fancy, I like to see what I can make with what I have on hand.
"Hmmm! What happened?"
Nothing, and that is the whole problem, I wake up to the same ugly unloving planet every morning.
"this week we are going to New Orleans to eat some Jambalaya."
Who is we?
"Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, Loretta Lynn, Jerry Lee Louis, Elvis and Patsy Cline. What have I been missing out on all of these years because of my small mind?"
Ah, what did you miss out on? Country folks hon, country folks. People that loved you even though you didn't know they existed.
They are people like me that loved you before meeting on blogs. But I suppose that it's hard for you to grasp the concept that I loved you before we met.
As for other wonderful music, check out The New Christy Minstrels. Even though I likely got the spelling wrong.
I went out on the spit today. Johnathan was there, but Goddess wasn't, I guess she has died.
Safe and happy paths.
BBC-Your comment deserves a worthy response, so I am going to think for awhile before I respond back.
Himself turned his nose up at country and has now converted--some.... He can't quite wrap his head around the fact that he listens to it and would deny it if you asked.
I just pat him on his little head when he hums along and smile.
I'm working on total assimilation. LOL
And obviously, I let him do the cooking. LOL It's a good arrangement for us....and the local volunteer fire department.
And because himself likes all sortsa weird food, we have all these strange spicey thingies littering our shelves.
I've learned not to pull bottles out and shake out contents on the counter for investigation purposes. He gets a bit testy when I do that. And really, it's kinda dangerous to decide you can 'finger taste' some of those things and get an accurate idea of what damage it's gonna do to your food.
BBC-Actually, a lot of the things that I cook would only be considered fancy here. In other countries, they are probably what your grandmother would make when you come over.
Nothing changes. I read an interesting article in the New York Times a few minutes ago. Apparently there has been a summit to address global warming and the United States has taken its usual stance about how what we are doing right now is all sufficient and the delegate was booed. A delegate from India started crying at one point and ran out of the room. The United states was told to either get on board or get out of the way. God! How did we get such assholes in office? But we reached an accord to cut emissions in half by 2050. That's great news, huh!
I got it wrong, I did not make Jambalaya (which is what I meant when I said that I was going to New Orleans) I made Arroz con Pollo, which is spanish for chicken with rice. It's actually a very simple dish the chicken is cooked and then put on top of rice with peppers, onions and garlic. What makes it different is the garnishes, green olives and lemon juice. It was awesome! Even my kids ate it.
Country folks. I always thought that I was raised around country folks but I have been begun to understand that I really wasn't. Though I lived in a town with a lot of farms etc..when I was growing up, these people lack the soul and kindness of true country folk. I don't know what you would call the people I grew up around, just small town people I guess. They were very set in their ways, had no curiosity about the outside world and looked with suspicion on people who were different than them. They did things because 'that's just the way it's done', that was a good enough reason for them. I didn't really like living there and I sort of lumped all small town people together, but that isn't really right is it? Each town has it's own character. Now I live in a place that does have the country people that you are talking about. It's bigger and closer to St. Louis, but if you've spent time around St. Louis, I'm sure that you realize that it's a real country city. And your right, country people are great!
And yes, your right, I'm not sure what you mean by you loved me before you met me. I suppose you mean in the agape way?
I will check out the band you mentioned (eventually) it may take me awhile to get around to it.
Who are Jonathon and Goddess. I suppose you mention them on your blog? I'll go check later.
Hugs!
Mel-Isn't that funny that we get such an attitude toward country music? I guess you associate it with certain redneck things but that is just a generalization isn't it? If I lived with someone who cooked I would have to work hard to let go of my control. The kitchen is like my domain, I become quite territorial. My poor husband.
I can understand someeone learning to dance with no intention of performing, just as I can see the value of someone learning music and never playing in front of an audience. It feels good all by itself.
I've never learned sign language, but I suppose I should learn at least something. Most people I've met who couldn't hear were able to read lips quite well, so I never bothered. Guess I'm just lazy in that regard.
Maria Muldaur is a name I haven't come across in a long time, but Johnny Cash is one I hear often. He's as much honored by the political left as he probably is on the right, and that's a rare person.
I like country music simply because it is music. It might surprise you that a lot of "soul" singers of the 1960s were into it (including Ray Charles, whose version of Buck Owen's "Crying Time" is probably the definitive one). Early in her career, Ella Fitzgerald also recorded a number of country songs. And there was a type of country called 'western swing,' a fusion of country and jazz, that was popular in the 1940s, and makes a revival every now and then.
BBC-Of course, Jonathon and Goddess, how silly of me! I read once that the only Christian religion that accepts any last vestige of the Goddess is the Catholics. But they have delegated her to two roles and 2 roles only. Virgin and Mother, that's it.
Do you know, it's funny that you say that about the Pagan religions, they are the religions that I can accept easier than any of the others. I do beleive that God can be seen in nature, I believe that human beings are a part of nature but we have gotten cut off from it, but you can still see God in other human beings.
christmas is a magic time of year but I think of more as Winter Solstice. Soon, we will have the longest night of the year and then every day sunrise will happen one minute earlier and sunset, one minute later. Everything appears dead now, but there is life sleeping inside of it and when the sun comes back, life will stir again. It represents hope, it represents cycles of nature which parellell cycles that all humans go through in their lives too. When we get into the winter of our lives, it gives up hope that there will be a Spring coming as well. Well, anyway...those are my thoughts.
X-Glad to see you. I rad on your blog that where you were supposed to give your dissertation, there were fires. Can I take this to mean that soon I can call you Dr. X?
I'm not definitely decided on the sign language yet, but I think that this looks like it could be the way I go. I'm beginning to see that whatever I do needs to involve some sort of way that I can express my spirit and not just my head. Whatever that may ultimately be, I don't know for sure.
Well if left and right can have a meeting of minds regarding Johnny Cash, maybe this holds hope for us that there are other ways that we could meet as well.
I am aware that a lot of the early country singers were African Americans. I have a great book called Hip: A History. It gives the entire history of how the interplay between white and black culture that has been going on since pre-bellum days has influenced all of our music. Jazz was African Americans deconstructing the classical music that they had been trained in. Blues is a mixture of american(??) and african, it's very fascinating. Rap carries on the oral traditions of Africa and incorporates the call-back and the rythyms, rock is now influenced by rap. It's all very fascinating. There really isn't a music that you can't like if you have respect for it just because it'smusic as you say.
mixedepisodes .. I got curious about that word, so looked it up. Interesting.
"but you can still see God in other human beings."
It would be nice if all humans saw it that way.
Getting a little Sun today, love the sun. & 45 degrees isn't bad either. With luck won't get much snow this winter, I'm not fond of snow and dealing with it.
BBC-We have snow. It makes my neighborhood a lot prettier, at least it does that!
Yes, I guess everyone rates at least o one. I know one person who doesn't even rate that from me.
what is your blog icon indicate? is that female getting ready to trash the books or the fact that she's looking above mean she's going to use the books to climb over
so you married a hispanic? it's incredibly rare you see a white woman marry a hispanic guy here. Unless that guy looks white and is from the capital of the third world country.
I would love to travel with ya to New Orleans! That's my favorite American city by far. Screw Las Vegas--N'Orleans is the original sin city. LV is like a disney version of a gangster movie--hookers and all.
Glad to read you in high spirits, my friend. Glad to read you, period. I know, you are busy and you don;t always feel you have something to say that you want to post here, but if you were to post more, I'd be here each week.
Thank you so much for your kind wishes. And no worries--you can't freak me out if you tried! My Aunt will always be riding shotgun in my heart, I have no doubts about it.
Take care
Eric-Your so nice. I am going to make an attempt to post more but to do that, I'm probably just going to have to write chatty posts instead of trying to be profound.
I've never been to New Orleans. I've been to Vegas, got married there and I didn't care for it and would have no desire to go back.
One consolation that you have is that your Aunt was a Christian woman, I assume. Someone once told me that the best thing that you can do for your kids is to go to church and try to live right because when you die, they will have the comfort of knowing that you are with the Lord. And she was aright wasn't she.
I wish that we could talk sometime. I have the feeling that we would have a Jack Kerouac all night speeded on coffee converstation. (At least for me it would be coffee.) Not much of a drinker. I am migraine prone and if I drink, I take the risk of getting such a bad headache that I practically beg for death. That sort of curbs any desire for alcohol. Hope you are well and that you have family to spend the holidays with.
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