Life Revolves Around Food

I started a list of things I’ll miss when I move to the American Midwest, and was a little ashamed at how much of it involved food. If I satisfied all my closure issues by eating all the things on that list, I’d weigh 400 pounds before I move! Why is that?

I went out last night with a friend I don’t see very often anymore, just to be sure we got to say good-bye, in case we can’t make our schedules work to get together later. Originally it was going to be coffee; then I suggested a glass of wine instead, because coffee that late would leave me wired. When we got to the bar/restaurant we had agreed on, we realized it was happy hour and they had some lovely appetizers on special.

Scallops. One thing I will miss in Indiana. I’m sure some high-end restaurant somewhere out there has scallops on the menu, but how fresh could they be? And how experienced could they be at proper preparation? Oh my heavens how I love scallops! My mouth is watering to think of them. Properly seared they just melt in the mouth. Yum. Clams in chowder are fine. Oysters – eh, you can have them. (I’ve had them fresh and that is gross.) Mussels are actually hard to get out of the shell, believe it or not. But scallops…my favorite of the bi-valve shell-fish.

So I ordered the jumbo scallop appetizer, she ordered crab cakes, and we split the fried pickles. (That was all her. I just tried them…like potato chips with dill pickle juice. Tasty, but I have a sense of shame for eating deep-fried vegetables.)

She freely said that she always likes to get together with friends for food. (She’s Jamaican and makes FANTASTIC Jerk Chicken.) I agreed there’s often not much alternative when trying to get together.

Me: We could go for a walk.

Her: If we ate afterward!

~~You would not assume she felt so attached to food to look at her. She must have a hollow leg.

I forgot to get a picture of the food. Is that bad?

Aphrodite and I went to the symphony Friday, accompanied by a delicious meal at Iron Hill Brewery – which is a very nice restaurant, more than a brewery – on the river front in Wilmington. The other day she called to see about having dinner tomorrow night.

I got an email from a coworker about a “Red’s last day” luncheon on my last day at the office. Again, food.

I’m not complaining, I enjoy eating with friends. And what else are we going to do? Especially the work party. Really? Sit around and shoot the breeze? No. There has to be food.

My niece spent a month with me one summer (another post for after I move and have access to my photos) and she was in a bike accident and taken to the ER. It wasn’t a huge deal, but she got a huge amount of sympathy. When I went to pick her up – and okay, let’s talk about the heart attack of a single non-parent who is responsible for a teenager and gets the call from the ER! Holy schnockers! Talk about my heart pounding out of my chest! – when she was all bandaged up and ready to go, what did I say?

Me: Would you like to stop for ice cream on the way home?

Her: Yeah, that sounds really good.

Of course it sounds good! Comfort food, baby!

So I have a dinner tomorrow night. Dinner in Baltimore probably next week sometime (and coffee or something with Misty whenever that happens). Indian food sometime. A going away “luncheon” at work. My own “help me drain my liquor cabinet” party on the 20^th. A farewell reception at my church.

…it’s all food! Conclusion: “Goodbye” is all about food.

Today’s Reason (not?) to Celebrate (again, thank you Cranky&Difficult)  :

The 3-Mile Island nuclear plant meltdown near Harrisburg, PA - Let’s all celebrate surviving it! (Vesta,  can you hook us up with a “Nuclear” beverage of choice?)