Reading List - "Feeding A Yen"

I'll keep this short. Sister Katie sent me Calvin Trillin's "Feeding a Yen" I was pumped. I was even more pumped reading about about Trillin's youth in Kansas City, trekking down to the New York City and Deli at it's original downtown KC location.

Time passes. The Kansas City New York City and Deli changed location, and moved over near Hwy 71 at the Watkins/63rd Street exit near the hospital. Tragically across from the cemetery.After a long battle with old equipment, dramatically changing demographics, and KC health inspectors, the last, and oldest, authentic Jewish deli in Kansas City closed in 2009.

The nearest decent corned beef on rye? Des Moines. Really.

"You'll Eat It and You'll Like It!"

Matt and I were on on our way back from the butt-crunching bike ride weekend in Cedar Rapids when I passed this restaurant in Walford, Iowa (population 1425).

Now how many times did I hear this as a child - "You'll eat it and you'll like it"? That would be me and split peas. Katie and broccoli. Mary Jane and tomatoes. I think I heard this at least five times a week growing up.

My conclusion - this is what would happen if your Mom decided to open a restaurant. I bet the menu has split peas, broccoli, tomatoes, liver, and navy bean soup.

Novel Business Idea - Kansas

This was on NPR today. I have been to Preston. It is a typically sad, dying rural Kansas town. But it was this part of the article that caught my eye:

"...he bought the run-down bar and grill on Main Street to turn it into a mortuary and crematorium ."

I'm thinking, hey - what a unique marketing idea. Not a former bar and grill turned into a mortuary and crematorium, but rather - here ya go - a COMBINATION bar and grill and mortuary and crematorium! Imagine the possibilities.

Undertaker Hopes To Revive Kansas Town
by Carla Eckels

December 8, 2009

Ken Stanton and his family are renovating a building on Main Street in Preston, Kan., that will become the Heartland Funeral Home and Crematory.

Many small towns across rural America continue to see population declines as the farming generation dwindles and the younger generation moves to bigger cities. But one small western Kansas town is getting help from an unlikely source: an Arizona undertaker who plans to revive the dying town by catering to the dead.

'Everyone Got Quite Excited'

The tiny town of Preston, Kan., once boasted a very active Main Street with two grocery stores, a post office, a cafe, a drug store and a filling station. But now they are gone — along with the town's high school and church. In fact, only 170 people live here. Boarded-up buildings line either side of Main Street. A City Hall and senior center remain within view of two towering grain elevators.

Ken Stanton plans to change much of that. The 53-year-old mortician with a warm and easy smile has been in the funeral business for 18 years. He is no stranger to Preston. For 35 years, he and his wife, Donna, have come here to visit relatives. Donna Stanton's father dreamed of a revitalized Preston, and Ken Stanton embraced that dream.

"I saw this little town, and I saw some pictures of it back in the early 1900s and saw what it was, and believed that this town could thrive again," he says.

So a year ago, he bought the run-down bar and grill on Main Street to turn it into a mortuary and crematorium. On a recent day, Stanton and brother-in-law Mike Saldan are surveying the gutted 94-year-old brick building. The goal is to complete construction and open the facility by January.

Mayor Wayne Scott, a student in the last graduating class of Preston High School — in 1966 — acknowledges that news of an undertaker investing big time in Preston was at first met with some skepticism.

But Scott says that changed after Stanton attended a City Council meeting and started requesting permits and acquiring properties around town, including on Main Street. "We realized that it could possibly be a reality for us, and then I think everyone got quite excited," Scott says.

A Family Affair

Donna Stanton plans to work alongside her husband in the mortuary and support her son's new business: a 1950s-style restaurant to be built down the street. It's not just Ken and Donna Stanton coming here — it's more than 30 family members and friends.

"My sister from South Carolina is coming in with her husband, and she'll be staying out here; and my other sister came with me; and then, of course, my brother-in-law and my other sister is in Phoenix, so they'll end up here," Donna Stanton says.

Although some Preston residents are welcoming them here, Ken Stanton says others aren't so sure.

"I think there's a group of people that are kind of wondering, 'What are these people trying to do — come in and take over the whole place?' " he says.

Mike Snell, the longtime branch manager of the Cairo Co-Op in Preston, says he hopes the Stanton clan can jump-start the town.

"The city of Preston is just about a dead town," Snell says. "We got the co-op here and a local meat plant, and there's just not a whole lot going on in the town anymore."

Although Preston is tiny, Stanton plans to draw funeral business from a 50-mile radius. He also wants to encourage others to give small towns a second look.

"Metropolitan communities are getting so packed with people," he says. "So many people are out of work. People are starting to gravitate farther out, where housing and things are a little bit less expensive. So I think there's an opportunity for growth and things to happen in small communities and small towns, if people will just be willing to be ready for some change."

And whether Preston lives or dies may rest in part on the success of the funeral business

Recipe List - New Thanksgiving Turkey Idea

The original idea was on Recipezaar or something like that. I can't recall where. It doesn't matter, as the overall concept is not "recipe", but rather "process" related:

East enough. To start, Buy a turkey. Then, thaw it - one day or more.

Boil one large teapot of boiling water. Once boiled, pour boiling water over
the turkey. Frankly, it's pretty damned amazing. You can see the skin before your eyes shrinking and tightening around the carcass. What the boiling water does is tighten the outer skin on the turkey meat, trapping the meat fluid inside the skin as it broils.

I'm not a big stuffing guy. Heck, despite tradition, most people don't like or actually eat bread stuffing. So I stuffed the turkey with orange and apple slices, apricots, raisins, and plums. The sole purpose of the fruit stuffing is to add flavor to the meat, and not to serve as a separate dish (the fruit is too soft and mushy for that). Final touches - I tooth-picked six pieces of raw center-cut bacon on top of the turkey, and poured a 16 oz can of chicken broth on top of the bird while in the broiler.

After the requisite 6-7 hours, I removed the bird from the broiler, removed the bacon from the turkey (but saved for leftover dishes and sandwiches), and left the fruit stuffing to remain inside the carcass. The fruit is eventually discarded with the carcass.

Result - best turkey I've ever made. Very soft and moist, regardless of white meat or dark. This experiment was a complete success. Can't wait to do it again, when at some time turkey is on sale.

Then, straight to the table on a platter. Bottom line - best turkey I've ever made. I will NEVER again another turkey without using the "boiled water" technique. It is flawless. And delicious.

Uncurdled But Curdled - Huh?

OK, a quick entry in both the weird food and bad marketing ideas category - Uncurdled Bean Curdle Pot Stew.

What? Is is curdled? Is it uncurdled? How can a curdle be uncurdled? I'm so confused.

Does it matter? Who would want to eat either curdled bean pot stew or uncurdled curdle bean pot stew? Whatever it is, I'll take a pass.

Bubble & Squeak - Another Nick Page Book

I just finished reading Nick Page's Keep It Simple, a pocket-sized book of hints and ideas intended to help folks simplify their lives and live in a better and more fulfilling way. Chapters including topics such as simple possessions, work, money, relationships, and truths. I found a lot in it to read and re-read later, and have green sticky labels all over the place to make neat ideas that I want to revisit. I expect to keep this on the nightstand, and keep going back to it. I particularly liked the chapter on quietness.

Published in the UK in 1999, I don't think it has ever been released in the US, and is hard to get here. I ordered a used copy from a UK book dealer through Alibris.com.

Of course, and book published exclusively in Great Britain is going to have a few of those linguistic Britishisms that drive us Americans crazy. It didn't take me long to figure out that a "car boot sale" is a "flea market", and not a place to buy the Denver Boot to annoy your neighbors or save a good downtown parking spot. But then I came across this line:

"Leftovers can be great (anyone for bubble and squeak?)."

"Bubble and squeak"? What the? Is that a real term? And, y'know, food? Who would name a dish "bubble and squeak"? I was totally lost.

So, I start googling. Aha! Those crafty, hilarious Brits. "Bubble and Squeak" is what we Americans on this side of the lake would call, ahem, "hash". That's it. Hash. Bubble and squeak, appparently, was yet another sad victim of Teddy Roosevelt's Simplified Spelling Board (which is why we Americans say "aluminum" instead of "aluminium"). And aren't we the lesser for it? Once I found out what bubble and squeak was, I saw a link to a Jamie Oliver bubble and squeak recipe. Jackpot! I love Jamie Oliver. So I look at the recipe. The first thing I see - add "two knobs butter, divided".

Oh, come on! A "knob of butter"? Knob? What the heck is a "knob"? Aaarrrgghh!

Bubble and Squeak with Sausages and Onion Gravy

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds all-purpose potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1 1/4 pounds mixed winter vegetables such as carrots, Brussels sprouts, rutabagas, turnips, onions, leeks or savoy cabbage, peeled or trimmed and chopped into equal-sized chunks
Olive oil
2 knobs butter, divided
1 (7-ounce) package vacuum packed chestnuts
6 good quality pork sausages, linked together
6 good quality venison or beef sausages, linked together
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Small bunch fresh rosemary, leaves picked and finely chopped
Nutmeg, for grating
3 red onions, peeled and finely sliced
Few bay leaves
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon good-quality vegetable or chicken stock
Directions
Cook the potatoes and mixed vegetables in a pan of boiling water for 15 to 20 minutes. When they're cooked right through, drain and put aside.

Heat a glug of olive oil and half the butter in a large frying pan and add the chestnuts. When they start to sizzle, add the potatoes and vegetables. Mash the vegetables up in the pan, then pat the mixture into a thick pancake shape. Fry on a medium heat for about 1/2 an hour, checking it every 5 minutes. When the bottom turns golden, flip it over bit by bit and mash it back into itself. Pat it out flat again and continue cooking until really crisp all over.

Preheat the oven and a roasting pan to 425 degrees F.

Unravel the pork sausage links and squeeze the filling between them until all 6 sausages are joined together. Do the same to your venison or beef sausages. Pat them to flatten them a bit. Drizzle with olive oil and massage this into your 2 long sausages. Sprinkle over a pinch of pepper, the rosemary and some nutmeg. Put 1sausage on top of the other and roll them up like a licorice wheel! Poke 2 skewers through, in a cross shape, to hold the sausages together.

Take the preheated roasting pan from the oven. Drizzle in some olive oil and add the onions. Season, add the remaining butter and stir. Place the sausage wheel on the onions and stick the bay leaves between the sausages. Drizzle with some more oil and roast in the preheated oven for around 40 minutes, or until golden and crisp. When your sausages and onions are done, your bubble and squeak should be ready too. If it still hasn't browned, put it under a hot broiler for 5 minutes.

Remove the sausages to a plate and place the pan with the onions on the stove top. Whack the heat up to full and stir in the flour, balsamic vinegar and stock. Bring to the boil and leave to thicken to a nice gravy consistency, stirring every now and then, and season to taste. Remove the skewers and cut the sausages into wedges. Serve the bubble and squeak with a good portion of sausage, a spoonful of onion gravy and perhaps some lovely dressed watercress.

The Crowned Jewel of Sedalia - The Guberburger

After driving past the Wheel Inn Drive In billboard on Route 50 between KC and Jeff City every week for a year, I decided it was finally time to try the "Famous Guberburger". So once in Sedalia, I took the four block detour down Route 65 to the Wheel In Drive In, and sat at the counter to order a guberburger, fries, and a Diet Coke.

The good news. The Wheel Inn Drive In is no greasy spoon. It has a 50s diner decor, and is very clean and new looking inside. The service and kitchen staff - three rather matronly ladies -were fast, helpful, and small town friendly. Prices on the menu are low, with almost every burger on the menu under $4.00.

In the not-so-great side - well the guberburger itself. It's been the specialty at the Wheel Inn for over 50 years, but I, for one, just don't get the attraction. The guberburger is a hamburger bun, a beef patty, peanut butter on top of the meat, and then topped with lettuce, tomato, and salad dressing ($3.40). I'm assuming there was salad dressing on it, because I never actually tasted it. The problem with the g-burger - the peanut butter is so overwhelming that you don't really taste anything else. You can barely taste the burger. They do also have a double meat guberburger, but I doubt that would make a difference.

I guess it's an acquired taste. I just haven't acquired it.

There were other local specialties on the menu that looked pretty interesting, and would be worth another stop at the Wheel Inn in Sedalia. I'll probably try the bacon sandwich next time, or - if I need to eat enough to last a couple days - the Wimpy Burger, with three meat patties and three slices of cheese. They also have an egg sandwich, and a bacon and egg sandwich, topped with lettuce, tomato, and Miracle Whip. Just like Mom used to make.

The Wheel Inn Drive In
2103 S Limit (Route 65 South)
Sedalia MO
660-826-5

Veggie Weird Crap #2 = Carrots as a Fruit

Yet another Korean grocery store atrocity. Carrot fruit juice? Umm. Ahh. Ohh.

Apparently, somebody wasn't paying attention in Physical Science class.

Veggie Weird Crap #1

You're either canned pork - or you're not. I've eaten this. Trust me. It ain't pork. Or "mock pork". Mock rubber, perhaps. Uggh. Inedible.

Who buys this stuff?

Catching up on the WTF posts.

Catching up series - number one. I've got several of 'em. Another weirdness tale from the Korean grocery store in Overland Park.

What. The. @#%&?

Vegetarian Soy Sauce? What? Isn't ALL soy sauce, by it's very nature, vegetarian. Normally, I'd give a sliver of possibility to this one, but - hey- my family owns a soy bean farm in Illinois. The last time I looked, none of our soybeans has hooves or, y'know, mammal-type vital organs. I'm pretty sure they were all plants.

I just don't get this.

Kansas City's Gift to Mankind - Root Beer Milk

The Shatto Milk Company. True visionaries. Sure, anyone can come up with Banana Milk, or Strawberry Milk. And the occasional seasonal eggnog. Child's play.

But this. Oh yes. Root Beer Milk rules.

Comfort Food for an Army - Beef 'N Beans Casserole (with Cringe Inducing Patriotism Thrown In Free!)

At yet another estate sale, I picked up a copy of The All American Crockery Cook Pot Cook Book for 10 cents. Apparently an early rival to, well, Rival, in the crockpot market, The All American Crockery Cook Pot apparently went by the wayside during the brutal crock pot wars of the 1970s. Their little 29 page pamphlet of recipes lives on, though, because I know at least one other person in the universe using it as a reference (here on cdkitchen.com):

http://cooking.cdkitchen.com/TheSavvySlowCooker/318.html

Anyway, the first recipe in the book is this:

Beef 'N Beans Casserole

1 1/2 lbs browned ground beef
salt, pepper, garlic salt to taste
1 ea 10 1/2 oz can chili beef soup
1 ea small jar black olives, sliced (optional)
1 ea No 2 can corn, well drained
1 ea small can kidney beans
1 ea one pound can tomatoes, drained
1 ea green pepper, chopped fine
1 ea medium onion, coarsely chopped
2-3 tbs chili powder
1/2 cup water
1 ea small can tomato sauce

Directions - in bottom of Cook-pot, place onions first, then peppers, tomatoes, then corn. Add lightly browned meat. Mix tomato sauce, water, and soup together and pour over meat. Cover, stir occasionally. Serve over noodles. Cook time 6-8 hours (low); 2-4 hours (high).

I used two pounds of browned pork rather than beef because, well, it happened to be in the house. Just as tasty, if a little more bland than ground beef. The gamier the meat, the more it will have aroma and taste. I wasn't unable to find a 10 1/2 oz can of condensed chili beef soup (I'm assuming Campbell's, but perhaps no longer in production) at the local Hyvee (and I'm assuming it called for condensed soup, as all of the other recipes in the book use condensed), so I had to substitute a 17 oz non-condensed Campbell's chili beef soup can instead. I used chili beans rather than kidney beans because, again, it happened to be lying around the pantry. I assumed the small jar of black olives would be the 4 to 4 1/2 oz size (which seemed reasonable), so that's what I used. A "No 2" can of corn is 20 oz, so I used about that amount.

In short, this was a good "clean out the pantry" recipe, as it calls for stuff that's usually in the kitchen somewhere, and no obscure ingredients (except for the condensed chili beef soup, but you can sub that as well). You can substitute a lot in it, and add or hold off on spices to moderate the spiciness level, as well as increasing the volume. You can also add frozen lima beans, or can of cut green beans, as a filler. I ended up using a 5 quart crock pot for this, as I'm not sure how you would have gotten it all to fit in a standard 4 quart). It also fills the house with that great stewy smell, which is so incredibly comforting on a cold autumn or winter day. Finally, I just couldn't see serving this over noodles (a rather 70s thing), so I served it either over rice, or by itself as a thick soup.

A great hit, especially with hungry teenagers. It disappeared pretty fast.

OK - now for the cringe-inducing stuff. The mini-cookbook/pamphlet, while a treasure trove of some, frankly, pretty awesome crock pot recipes, does give one room for pause. First, on the cover, the company is hyped as "Made in America by Americans for all the World" (a bit verbose, methinks). Frankly, that seemed a little extreme. I'm assuming the alternative was "Made in America by Illegal Aliens from South and Central America..." - but, hey, probably not as good an ad slogan. But, let's face it, if you're going to hype the whole "Made in America by Americans" bit, it would help if you didn't MISSPELL A WORD on the COVER of the book. At the top of the cover, it clearly states "It dosen't need watching".

Really. No kidding.

Grandinetti Products of Lynwood, California is, apparently, no longer around. Probably some much the worse for American manufacturers. Probably so much the better for America's English majors.

So They Aren't All Great - Chicago Confidential

So, OK, not every reading choice is a winner. At an estate sale, I picked up a copy of Chicago Confidential by Jack Lait and Lee Mortimer. Published in 1950, the book is now exactly 59 years out of date. Lait and Mortimer were two New York newspapermen who had previously made their mark with, not surprisingly, New York Confidential. They followed up the NYC book with a sequel on Chicago. Despite trying to hype some Chicago roots, it's obvious early on that they see most things through a New York lens.

So what were these "Confidential" books (there was later a USA Confidential)? Basically, they were trips through the seedy parts of town, which probably was pretty risque by 1950 standards. They were even made into really bad movies, but seeing how none of these movies have seen the light of day on video, AMC, or TCM, I'm guessing they were pretty horrible. From this book, we learn:

- The "Taj Mahal" of Chicago brothels was the Everleigh Club, at 2131/2133 South Dearborn.

- Heroin costs $1.50 per capsule; marijuana joints cost 3 for $1.00.

- There are many ethnic minority communities in Chicago, but - amazingly - Lait and Mortimer never found the Irish neighborhoods, either on the North or South sides. Really. No, really. Oh, come on! Kinda an obvious oversight.

- There are dolls, dames, show gals, strippers, b-girls, and hookers. Lots and lots of hookers.

- Burlesque was very big. There were three classes of strippers - "fan-dancers", "grinders", and "talking women". There was also a difference between "nude" and "naked". No, really.

- In 1950, in addition to the Cubs and Sox, the All American Girls Professional Baseball League (from A League of Their Own fame) still played in Chicago - at the Admiral Stadium, on the West Side. For you trivia buffs, the league lived on quite well past the end of World War II and didn't fold until 1954 (see additional Chicago link below).

- Bughouse Square (Washington Square, at North Clark and Walton) - a "haunt of homos, pinkos, nature lovers, and nuts... soap boxers and prosties". No, really, it says that.

Unfortunately, a book about 1950's Chicago, with mainly Loop addresses, is a severe Google Maps disappointment. Check an address, and it's now a 1970s cinder block post office or a vacant lot. But it does have a taste of what was important in the 1950s, and unfortunately, is pretty much lost today, like backstage phone numbers, names of the headwaiters of the best restaurants (including the Palmer House, Pump Room, and the Drake), and a list of restaurants and bars. I would say "the best" restaurants and bars with a grain of salt, but it seems like the authors never left the Loop to eat (or at least, not further north then the 1000 block of North Clark). There's a list of strip clubs, dancing halls, and restaurants, listed by ethnic cuisine.

One reason I bought the book was to do a bit of research on a famous restaurant owned by Mike Fish. It's part of my Dining Club project. More on that later. But no mention of Mike Fish or his restaurant in the book. Too bad. I was going to pitch the book, since I don't have that much of a need for it now. Rather, I may send it off to Katie, as the restaurant list (with addresses) may be of interest to her LTHForum buddies at some time in the future.

In short, the book was worth it. For 25 cents. Hmmm.

Oh, and the photo. From the Dog N Suds in Richmond. True Chicago cuisine.

Oh, and the girls baseball thing. I don't know why the movie glossed this over, but the entire idea for the AAGPBL was the idea of, yes, Phillip K. Wrigley. Spring training for the inaugural 1943 season was played at - woohoo - Wrigley Field. Well, there ya' go.

-

Spaghetti con Calamari

The impetus for this recipe was frozen squid on close-out at the Jefferson City West Gerbes (a grocery store chain, for the uninitiated). Frozen squid, medium sized, whole, for 1.99 a pound. Damned good price. I bought two pounds.

I looked on line for an easy squid recipe that didn't involve deep-frying (too much oil, too messy), and I came across a recipe on cdkitchen.com that involved pasta, but didn't rely on a breading, a white or red sauce. Other than the butter - you don't want to use margarine or a non-butter substitute with this - it was a one mighty healthy dish.

Here was the problem, though. I planned to double up on the recipe - good for school week leftovers, good for teenagers. But then I went shopping to buy out of stock ingredients, and it dawned on me what four pounds of tomatoes entailed. That's one big pot-o-food. I stuck with the original recipe - two pounds of tomatoes, with one pound of squid, one pound of pasta. Still a hunk of food.

Like every cook with their personal half-assed "improvements", I substituted Roma tomatoes for Italian plums, and liberally near-doubled dried, processed oregano, thyme, basil, and marjoram for fresh alternatives. Why? Because I live in friggin' Kansas City, for Christ's sake. Try to get fresh basil and Italian plum tomatoes here.

Finally, I went with store bought spaghetti, though if I was going this for a more formal group than hungry kids I would have used a better pasta. But, hey - "tubular spaghetti" (the original recipe)? What the heck is that? Tubular? Is that like groovy fettucine or totally rad ziti?

To make the tomato/calamari sauce, I used a Zojirishi electric skillet, which is much more controllable and easier to clean (up after) than a frying pan. Mmmm. I love electric skillets.

Overall, making the sauce, making pasta, serving to a hungry horde - easy peasy.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter or virgin olive oil
2 pounds Italian plum tomatoes, peeled & coarsely chopped
1/2 large onion, coarsely chopped
1 pound squid, cleaned, tentacles intact, body in bite-size
1/4 teaspoon fresh thyme
2 teaspoons fresh oregano, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh marjoram, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
1 pound spaghetti or perciatelli (tubular spaghetti)
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Heat butter or oil in large saucepan. Add tomatoes and onions and cook for 20 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally until tomatoes break apart easily and onion is soft. Add squid, reduce heat to low, and cook for 10 minutes more. Add herbs and cook for 5 minutes. The squid should be very tender. Add salt and pepper and serve over pasta.

Oh, the photo. Totally unrelated to squid, curiously. It's my one favorite place in South Korea. The hostels south of the Sorak-san. Unfortunately, this exquisitely beautiful stream (and scenery) was destroyed by torrential flooding in 2006. A tragic loss, like burning the Mona Lisa. Sorely missed.

Don't Be Bitter, or In Brine

Another one of those oddities from the local Asian food store. Call me finicky, but I'm not instantly drawn to, or get a wild case of the yummies, by something with either "bitter" or "brine" on the label. Or a picture of a fruit, if that's what it really is, that looks all shriveled and wrinkly and about 50 years old. Decidedly unappetizing.

So That's Where Restaurants Came From

As seen in St Louis, en route to a Cardinals game.

The "original" restaurant? Really? What did they have before this? I can only imagine some folks cooking at home, and suddenly thinking "Hey, we call SELL this stuff!" And the rest is history.

And then, sadly, one day it closes. Another epoch closes. And the one and only Original Restaurant is lost to the ages. Like ancient Rome. Or the Romanov Dynasty. Or the St. Louis Browns.

Now That's a Big Bowl of Rice

As seen in Chicago, near Rush Street. Nothing says "I like Asian cuisine" like a rice bowl the size of a compact car.

Mr Squid. 'Nuff Said.

OK, for every great food idea Japan comes up with (like Vermont Curry), they also dream up one that is, well, not so great. Witness then "Mr Squid"-brand baked squid snacks. Made in Thailand for export to Japan and apparently for the Japanese palate. Or lack thereof. The things taste undeniably awful. Stale and somewhat rubbery, it doesn't even seem like it's a food source when you put it in your mouth. Bad. Like, really bad. Stunningly bad to almost being inedible. OK, you get the idea.

I should have known. Thailand. That explains it. The home of the fried egg flavored lollypop.

Vermont Curry - From Japan With Curiosity

Today's entry into the exceptionally weird world of food leads us to an old favorite, and decidedly more tasty than silkworm pupa. Vermont Curry. Why does a curry brand made in Japan since 1963 (and not originally intended for export to the U.S.) carry the name "Vermont"? Damned if I know. Perhaps the House Foods Corporation thought it was trendy at the time (1963). Anyway, the stuff is great. Major league tasty, easy to make, and mongo nutritious.

And in my quest to figure out how they came up with the name "Vermont", I came upon a cool factoid, considering I always considered curry as a decidedly Asian dish. Here ya' go - curry came to Meiji Japan during late 1800s by way of the British, who picked up a taste for it in colonial India. The Japanese, at the time, considered it a trendy 'Western' dish at a time when many new foreign ideas and products were entering the country. Pretty weird, eh? What we consider quintessentially Asian was thought by the Japanese to be quintessentially Western. So maybe the leap to naming it "Vermont Curry" in 1963 wasn't that far, after all.

As for why curry tastes the way it does, here's the list of spices that go into it (courtesy of the House Foods website):

The spices used in curry sauce and their general effects are:

Cardamom: improves appetite, relieves flatulence, and induces sweating
Turmeric: increases liver function, heals fatigue, and acts as an anticancer agent
Cumin: improve the appetite and digestion
Black pepper: stimulates appetite, digestion, and circulation
Coriander: helps purify the blood, induce sweating, and aid digestion
Red pepper: helps to improve heart and circulation, as well as induces sweating
Cinnamon: acts as a stimulant and detoxifier
Nutmeg: has analgesic effects and acts as a sleep aid
Fenugreek: brings down fever and helps with acid indigestion and diarrhea
Bay leaf: contributes to good digestion

OK, second weird curry factoid. The idea of putting potatoes in Japanese curry is credited to, umm, a guy from Massachusetts. William S Clark (1826-1886) was a president of what is now Amherst, officer during the Civil War, and 1876-77 spent eight months in Japan as a founding president of Sapporo Agricultural College (now Hokkaido University). There was a rice shortage in Japan at the time (due to a drought), and apparently Smith came up with the idea of adding potatoes to curry mix for extra nutrition. Pretty cool, eh?

REALLY Bad Food Ideas

Pupa? No, really. Pupa? Let's look at the definition of that tasty culinary term:

[[From Wikipedia]] A pupa (Latin pupa for doll, pl: pupae or pupas) is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation. The pupal stage is found only in holometabolous insects, those that undergo a complete metamorphosis...In the life of an insect the pupal stage follows the larval stage and precedes adulthood (imago). It is during the time of pupation that the adult structures of the insect are formed whilst the larval structures are broken down. Pupae are inactive, and usually sessile (not able to move about). They have a hard protective coating and often use camouflage to evade potential predators.

Yummm. Tasty. OK, quick admission here. I lived in South Korea for almost 6 years. And they sold these things on pretty much every street corner. Try as I might, I never quite could get used to the idea of eating insects in a transition phase. It seemed kind of personal. To the insect, at least. Kinda like walking in on them in the dressing room.

But, hey - that's just me.

Not to mention that when I get hungry, the first word that pops into my mind isn't "holometabolous". Buffalo sauce, maybe. Holometabolous, no.

That said, I can't say the brilliant "market it as pupa for overseas markets" move will garnish much more of the seriously deprived north American edible larvae market.

Unless a LOT of hot sauce is involved.