”I love Brussel sprouts. If you stand your asparagus on end, you can go bowling!”
The clouds are back, but no rain is predicted. It will be warmish, in the mid 50’s. I have no plans for today. I may just binge on movies. Lately I have been watching disaster movies about imminent doom from volcano eruptions, melting ice, earthquakes, cyclones and tidal waves. I’ve steered clear of epidemics. It seems they produce vampires.
I mostly used to fly PanAm To Europe though I did take a few TWA trips as well. Coming back from Ghana the only non-stop flight was from PanAm, a flight which had originated in East Africa. I remember the flight. It had a few unique moments. A few hours in, the pilot announced a buffet under the stars, kind of a cute name as names go. In the back of the plane a table had been set with breads, cheeses, cold cuts and condiments. A line quickly formed then the pilot came over the loud speaker. He asked people to sit as the tail end of the plane was dragging. We had to take turns at the buffet.
When I was a kid, some foods were never served. I figure my mother knew which ones we’d eat and which ones would stay untasted, untouched. I knew beets were round and red, and I knew my grandmother loved pickled beets, but I never tasted one, never cared to and still haven’t. I don’t know why. My mother never served honey. I did taste it, but in a candy bar, Bit O’ Honey. I thought it had a sort of strange taste, but I liked it. I always have honey in my house now, not only to eat but in case of mass destruction. Honey doesn’t spoil. Brussels sprouts never made an appearance on our dinner table. Cabbage did but only on St. Patrick’s Day. I always thought Brussel sprouts were baby cabbages, a vegetable never allowed to grow old. We didn’t eat okra, but I think my mother never heard of okra. I eat it now. I hated wax beans, both green and yellow. They were always mushy out of the can. I forced down French green beans.
It was Africa which expanded my palate. I was willing to try just about everything. I came to love plantain, okra stew, goat, tuber yam, which looked like tree bark, mangoes and paw paw, known as papaya here. I still love those Ghanaian foods. My favorites, which are easy to make here, are kelewele and jollof rice.
Because I live alone, my meals are haphazard. I lean toward quick and easy. I’m a fan of eggs of any sort for any meal. I crack them and leave them to cook. I mostly eat chicken. I am a cheese fan. Last night I had avocado toast for dinner. That is my definition for quick and easy, and I’ll add tasty.
Explore posts in the same categories: Musings
keepthecoffeecoming.blog 
May 1, 2024 at 11:11 am
Hi Kat,
The weather has been unusually wet. That’s good because when mid June rolls around the gates of hell will open up and we will have a very dry and hot summer.
Unfortunately, both Pan Am and TWA were victims of the stupid experiment in deregulation of the airline industry. I have had friends who worked for the myriad of airlines which have gone out of business since 1979. Most of the employees lost their retirement money while the upper managers received golden parachutes. The days of the golden era of flying is over. Today, flying has replaced the Greyhound bus.
I used to also think that Brussels sprouts were baby cabbages. The fresh ones are excellent. I have never seen wax beans that weren’t canned. I do enjoy fresh green beans. My wife never liked green beans nor Brussels sprouts until she started buying them fresh. Unfortunately, she still won’t touch shrimp.
The only reason I eat okra is because it’s contained in gumbo. There is nothing better than a bowl of home made Louisiana gumbo. It’s served with a scoop of rice and contains both seafood, chicken, and sausage.
You really need to take a trip to New Orleans because it’s one the most fun places in our country. The food is fabulous, the architecture is historic, and the people are friendly. It’s one of the most unique cities in the world. I could go there and gain 20 lbs. in a week. 🙂
May 1, 2024 at 7:26 pm
Hi Bob,
By August we’ll have humidity, but it will seldom gets as hot as you’ll get. We have only a few days in the 90’s. Boston has far more.
I remember one flight on PanAm. It left from NY and was stopping in Denmark, Sweden and Finland. The plane was full but only a few passengers were left for Finland, my stop. I wondered what the rest of the passengers knew that I didn’t.
Flying in those days was a treat. The food was good and there was plenty of it. Drinks were free. The planes were seldomly filled going overseas.
I think I’d probably like Brussel sprouts. The roasted recipes sound wonderful. I also have never seen anything but canned waxed beans. I buy fresh green beans. When I make the green bean casserole, I use fresh beans and make my own béchamel sauce. The the casserole is always tasty.
I first tasted okra in Ghana, okra soup. It was a bit slimy, but it tasted great. I make a great gumbo!
New Orleans is on my list!