Thursday, November 24, 2005
Bountiful
:::satisfied sigh::: What a lovely holiday! I'm just now coming out of my food coma, happy and oh-so-thankful for the people in my life.
Two years ago, just a couple weeks before what The Food Whore rightly calls The Most Adored Food Holiday in All the Land, I was diagnosed with celiac disease. Stuffing, green bean casserole, rolls, gravy, pumpkin pie? All off-limits. Not only could I not eat what I wanted to, I was still too new to cooking gluten-free foods. Not the healthy stuff -- but the creamy, gooey comfort foods required for a family Thanksgiving. I couldn't even bring the variety of homemade breads that I made every year. So I concocted a wild rice/cranberry/hazelnut dish at the last minute and pictured myself picking at a bare slice of turkey and drooling over the pies. But my family "got it." Immediately. Mom thickened the gravy with cornstarch and brought me a "special" pumpkin pie (no crust). My sister whipped up the mashed potatoes with gluten-free sour cream. (She actually read the label!) And they all snarfed up my casserole.
Fast-forward two years. They still "get it." Boy, do they ever "get it." I had to laugh when I saw all the dishes lined up on the buffet. You wouldn't even know that one of our throng required a special diet. Almost everything was creamy, gooey, comforting -- and gluten-free! Each time I express my gratitude, they shrug and say, "It's family. Why wouldn't we do this for you?" Yeah, I'm truly blessed. I'm surrounded by people I love, who love me, and make me feel safe and secure. How can I ever be thankful enough?
My contributions to the meal? Three types of homemade breads, an autumn vegetable gratin [with a few recipe modifications] and polenta-sausage stuffing. And again they snarfed it all up.
That concludes the sentimental portion of the blogcast. Now on to the holiday fun:
Two years ago, just a couple weeks before what The Food Whore rightly calls The Most Adored Food Holiday in All the Land, I was diagnosed with celiac disease. Stuffing, green bean casserole, rolls, gravy, pumpkin pie? All off-limits. Not only could I not eat what I wanted to, I was still too new to cooking gluten-free foods. Not the healthy stuff -- but the creamy, gooey comfort foods required for a family Thanksgiving. I couldn't even bring the variety of homemade breads that I made every year. So I concocted a wild rice/cranberry/hazelnut dish at the last minute and pictured myself picking at a bare slice of turkey and drooling over the pies. But my family "got it." Immediately. Mom thickened the gravy with cornstarch and brought me a "special" pumpkin pie (no crust). My sister whipped up the mashed potatoes with gluten-free sour cream. (She actually read the label!) And they all snarfed up my casserole.
Fast-forward two years. They still "get it." Boy, do they ever "get it." I had to laugh when I saw all the dishes lined up on the buffet. You wouldn't even know that one of our throng required a special diet. Almost everything was creamy, gooey, comforting -- and gluten-free! Each time I express my gratitude, they shrug and say, "It's family. Why wouldn't we do this for you?" Yeah, I'm truly blessed. I'm surrounded by people I love, who love me, and make me feel safe and secure. How can I ever be thankful enough?
My contributions to the meal? Three types of homemade breads, an autumn vegetable gratin [with a few recipe modifications] and polenta-sausage stuffing. And again they snarfed it all up.
That concludes the sentimental portion of the blogcast. Now on to the holiday fun:
- Mystery Science Theater 3000's Turkey Day marathons are long gone, but you can rediscover the (c)harm here.
- A Thanksgiving tradition at my place: I pop in an old tape of WKRP in Cincinnati's infamous "Turkeys Away" episode. Oh, the humanity! (And WHEN is this series going to come out on DVD?)
- Another tradition: Listening to Arlo Guthrie's Alice's Restaurant (with full orchestration and five-part harmony. Shovels, rakes & implements of destruction are optional. )
Have a safe & happy Thanksgiving!
Saturday, November 19, 2005
Sign, Sign, Everywhere a Sign
I have a "thing" for old neon signs. The design and color are optimistic and exciting, like the world is full of promise. And the age makes me wonder if the hopes of the past were ever fulfilled. That's why it hurts to see great old signs replaced by something bland and modern. The loss of Earl Abel's (see previous post) means that three of my favorite old signs will have passed on in the last year. Here are the other two:
San Pedro Church of Christ.
The old sign goes perfectly with the church's 1950s-modern architecture:
So why was it replaced with this boring 1990s-style monolith?:
(I also miss the "meets here" from the original sign. Seems more friendly somehow.)
Paletta's.
Pretend you couldn't read. Does this belong to an Italian restaurant? A dentist's office? Who knows?:
Here's what it replaced:
Where would you rather go?
San Pedro Church of Christ.
The old sign goes perfectly with the church's 1950s-modern architecture:
So why was it replaced with this boring 1990s-style monolith?:
(I also miss the "meets here" from the original sign. Seems more friendly somehow.)
Paletta's.
Pretend you couldn't read. Does this belong to an Italian restaurant? A dentist's office? Who knows?:
Here's what it replaced:
Where would you rather go?
Thursday, November 17, 2005
Goodbye Earl
San Antonio landmark Earl Abel's is closing. The building will be razed and replaced by a 25-story condo. During my college days, I spent many late nights and early, early mornings there, talking with friends, taking a break from all-nighters and chowing down on fried chicken, mashed potatoes with cream gravy and chocolate icebox pie. Restaurants like this don't exist anymore and haven't since the early 1960s. Picture red leather banquettes and waitresses with beehive hairdos, thick-soled shoes and plenty of attitude. At Earl Abel's, that retro feel wasn't a gimmick. It wasn't even meant to be retro; it was just Earl's. Nearly all the foods on their menu are off-limits to me now, but I think I'll stop by before it closes for a plate of mashed potatoes (sans cream gravy) and a slice of attitude. Saturday, November 12, 2005
Turning Japanese
1. Curse you, Fox! One of my favorite shows, Arrested Development, got the axe. This is particularly bitter coming almost immediately after its funniest episode yet. The key scene was a weird and brilliant salute to 1960s Godzilla/Gamera movies -- imagine Jet Jaguar going after a giant mole as it destroys a village, while horrified Japanese citizens look on. And despite all the clues, I never saw the payoff coming. Amazing writing, and I'm glad the show's first two seasons are on DVD so I can watch over and over again -- and catch all the things I missed the first few times.
2. OK, it's expensive and impractical, but I want a mochi maker. Whole Foods sells slice & bake mochi, but it's a little rubbery, so I'd like to make my own. Plain mochi filled with chicken salad... cinnamon mochi filled with cream cheese (mixed with a little Bailey's). Mmm... mochi.
2. OK, it's expensive and impractical, but I want a mochi maker. Whole Foods sells slice & bake mochi, but it's a little rubbery, so I'd like to make my own. Plain mochi filled with chicken salad... cinnamon mochi filled with cream cheese (mixed with a little Bailey's). Mmm... mochi.
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Cleaning out the junk drawer
More bright, shiny stuff that caught my eye:
- Think you know your logos? Check out these alphabets and guess what logos the letters come from.
- Just what America needs -- more cowbell!
- I love this: The Annals of Improbable Research tested the U.S. Postal Service by mailing all kinds of strange things -- money wrapped in clear plastic, a single rose, rancid cheese, and more. Check out the results here.
- Getting over a really bad relationship? These folks will melt down your wedding ring and other jewelry to create a commemorative bullet. Yes, a bullet.
- Aprons made from fast food wrappers, tattooed baby dolls and other comments on women's roles in modern life, in this exhibit.
- A magic world in miniature on your food on this French site. Picture sheep climbing on mountains of cauliflower, ice skaters in tart pans, and sledders zipping down hills of chantilly cream.
Friday, November 04, 2005
Two Good (and Gross) Reasons to be Gluten-Free
1. The pastry display will never tempt you again. Courtesy of Dallas's Team 4 News and reported in the Village Voice: A Dallas cab driver was caught on tape sprinkling dried feces on pastries. Police said they found a pile of human feces by his bed. He would dry it, grate it up with a cheese grater and then sprinkle it at the store, officials said.
2. Neither will the bakery.
2. Neither will the bakery.
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
Too late for Halloween...
1. If monsters invaded works of fine art. I'm kind of partial to the Norman Rockwell one.
2. Rate celebrities' plastic surgery. Ooooh, scary!
2. Rate celebrities' plastic surgery. Ooooh, scary!
...and too early for Christmas
Wanna be the best Santa in the world? Head on over to Samnaun, Switzerland for the Santa Claus World Championships on Nov.26. Teams of four -- all dressed in Santawear -- compete in snowball fights, ski races, and the all-important chimney climb.
