“Food is our common ground, a universal experience.”
Sometime during the night it rained, not much rain but I’ll take any rain. It left the morning dark and still damp. It is in the high 70’s, but later it will be around 80°. Everything is still in the thick air.
My friends Bill and Peg and I served together in Ghana. They lived quite a distance away from me. I used to visit them on my way back from Accra to Bolga. They knew when I was coming. We’d arrange those visits. All our correspondence was by letter. That amazes us.
One of my favorite meals was eaten in Jamaica. It was red snapper and plantain. Another meal on my list of favorites was at a Chinese restaurant in London. There was something about those ribs. When I’d return from a trip, my father and mother would pick me up at Logan Airport. From there we always stopped at Santarpio’s in East Boston. I used to get the combination plate. It had steak, sausage and chicken with hot peppers on the side. In Ghana, feed me kelewele and jollof rice for every meal, and I’d be happy. I had a wonderful meal in Helsinki. I don’t know what it was. I just pointed.
When I retired, I had a few plans. I would sleep in as I had had to get up at 5:15 each workday. I have managed to do that well. I would travel. I went to Morocco. That was an amazing trip and the first outside the country I took alone. I rented a car and driver and went into the mountains. I rode a caleche, a horse drawn carriage, around Marrakech. I had a cooking lesson. With guide book in hand, I walked all around Marrakech stopping at cafes for coffee and gawking. I went to Ghana three times. I haven’t traveled in a while, but I am quite content.
Nala is so bold she just took a crumpled paper towel off the table right in front of me. She even gave me a defiant look as she grabbed it before running down the hall and out the dog door.
Today I have a uke concert and tonight I have a play. Our concert music is love songs from the 60’s, my heyday. Tonight is Beautiful-The Carole King Musical. It is my last busy day until Monday.
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July 12, 2024 at 2:39 pm
Hi Kat,
A few puffy clouds and hot as hell.
I was very disappointed with Italian food in Northern Italy. I think I have been spoiled by the Italian restaurants that I have visited in Northern New Jersey. My theory is that when the government threw all the New York mob bosses in prison, their children moved to New Jersey and opened Italian restaurants. 🙂
We have many excellent Chinese and Vietnamese restaurants in Dallas. A few prepare very authentic Chinese dishes similar to what I ate in China. The only good thing I can say about the long Vietnam war was that by bringing all those refugees here it improved the quality and taste of Chinese food all over the heartland of this country. I can eat Chinese food every day.
You will love “Beautiful”, we saw it a couple of years ago.
July 12, 2024 at 11:41 pm
Hi Bob,
The food in Italy is different by region. Northern Italy usually has a cream sauce with cheese, not one with a tomato base. That is where I first found risotto. I think Rome has the dishes we are used to here at Italian restaurants. I admit I don’t think New Jersey when I think Italian food.
I love Chinese food. Chinatown in Boston has fantastic Chinese restaurants. One I loved was down stairs below the sidewalk. There are only a couple of good Chinese restaurants close. There are good Thai restaurants. The one Vietnamese restaurant didn’t last long. I think people expected food more similar to Chinese. Maybe the French influence threw them off.
You are right. I loved Beautiful. The house was full and the cast superb. The two plus hours passed in no time.
July 13, 2024 at 12:17 am
What I noticed about northern Italian food was that it was much more bland than I expected and without much garlic flavor. While awaiting to board a flight home from Milan’s Malpensa airport, I struck up a conversation with an Italian woman and her 10 or so year old son. He was wearing a red Ferrari jacket. This woman told me that she lives in Spokane Washington. She explained to me that real Italian food is not the same as in America. She said Italian chefs don’t hide the flavors of the fresh ingredients behind garlic laden sauces. But I like garlic laden red sauce.
July 13, 2024 at 11:39 am
Bob,
I’m okay with garlic but I don’t want much in my sauce. I don’t want it to be an overwhelming taste. I do love garlic bread and love to use it to sop up the sauce.