Going out with my sister was a blast. She is a story teller like our dad as she shares her life with me. She also is a crazy foodie like most of my family seems to be. I tend to go on the side of caution and bland. Mabe a bit of salt and pepper and olive oil but not much more. And garlic as I hear it is good for you. Certainly not for breath purposes mind you. But, really I am not a seasoning kind of person. I know what I like and don’t like on my food. Never really got into the whole exploring foods that rhyme with ‘not’ or ‘dicey’. So opening my fridge or cupboard I can tell someone other than me has been adding daring spices or condiments. Siracha?? Spicey dill relish?? Franks Hot Sauce?? Does that sound like a crowd pleaser. Not.
But there is such a thing as getting out of your comfort box to give something a go. Most of my family be it immediate or extended like to test their palette. Not sure why I must have missed that train of add a bit more of this and a lot more of that. Basically, basic has always been my preferred jam.
I think of my dad during my childhood impressionable years. He was a bit extreme to say the least. The hot the better. My Mom had this recipe for hot mustard. Just standing by her as she was finishing up her homemade mustard I swear it took a hair or two from my nostrils. Yet there was my dad as we sat down to dinner putting pukish coloured mustard on his hamburger and hotdog entree on top of the eye watering onions from the garden. Not sure the sweat gathering above his eye brows nor the runny nose that seemed to develop as he indulged in the local fare of mom’s concoction was supposed to be convincing. What is so appealing about sweating and nose dripping while eating good food?!
This summer I bought a hot sauce kit for my oldest daughter as she wants to recreate the TV series of Hot Ones for herself. Is this a bit of her grandpa spilling into the gene pool? Holy moly. Why for goodness sake? For this is a TV series which hosts celebrities to come on the show and try chicken wings dipped in a wide variety of hot sauces. I watched one episode and holy moly on a cracker….not happening. I think the sauce Texas Pete would be my limit. If a sauce is named Mad Dog, no thankyou. What is the attraction!!
Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoy chicken wings. But I like them dry rub, crispy but not dried out, and mild. However having lived with my oldest daughter for a few months at a time over the course of the last two plus years, she introduced me to M and Ms buffolo wings. Now they have quite a kick to them. I can eat maybe 3 or 4 and then I need a soother for the lips. LOL.
Maybe I need to spice up my life a bit. I know that it takes a bit of thyme befpre cumin to take over at this sage in my life. Can I be bold and chili? Can my taste buds take on more than a peppering but definitely less seaing salting on my platter? I have kept things at bay which leaves only rosemary to be heard. I cayenne expect my tongue to be treated gingerly. So to begin, I think a more softerpowdery approach but not be so flakey as I mustard up some old cajun courage to take on allspices. Apparently, William Cowper’s poem (1785) The Task: “Variety is the very spice of life, that gives it all its flavor.”
I must have missed that memo. Hmmm. Well, I guess it will be chicken and everything spice. Okay. Let’s not get a head of oneself. Yes seasoning I can do. Maybe a bit of exploring, open the opportunity to get those creative juices flowing as my youngest would say. Research as I am so not interested in watery eyes or finding the nearest emergency room for tongue and mouth resuscitation.
Yet really the seasoning no matter what it will be, be it plain and simple, hot and spicey, tart and sour, or deliciously sweet, it meets the joy of enjoying food. Even more than that it is the breaking of bread together fills the spiritual as well as the physical nourishment within. I tease my girls and siblings as they are such foodies. Eyes glaze when they talk about certain foods they had or with their God given talents, food they have made with their own hands. I missed that gene boat. LOL. But regardless it is the communal understanding of food and love they have which I believe is the true seasoning.
Bless them for being the spice of life and seasoning for me.
Let us pray for those in need of our prayers today. Amen.
Karenpondering 