Proving that I’m not the only nut hanging from the family tree, I received the following email from my mother a few days ago:
Hey Sal – I sent a bunch of your blogs to Nonnie & Grandma to read. Grandma thought it was a Spanish Halloween custom to dress up COCONUTS in costumes. Obviously your nuttiness comes from Dad’s side.
Ohhhhh boy! I can just imagine the stories that Grandma has been telling the other ladies during her weekly hairdresser’s appointment.
I don’t who is naughtier. Me for writing them, or my mother for sending them.
That’s a fine speciman of blokedom in the photo with Nonnie …
You’re so lucky, my Nana and Grandma came from a culinary tradition that involved tripe … sigh.
“Blokedom?” Boy, I hope that’s a compliment.
BTW…I’ve been served more than one plate of tripe at my Nonnie’s house. Actually, I kinda like tripe.
I second the first part of Lady Di’s comment. That photo of “a boy and his Nonnie” does have a certain charm.
I have yet to tell my mother aka “The Mouth of the North Shore” about my blog precisely because I know she would pass along the URL to 87 of her closest friends and soon *everyone’s* grandma would know about it.
My Nonna, who passed away in 1981, would have been 100 years old this November. Coming from the crazy side of the family, I think she would have enjoyed your blog. She never made tripe – her specialty was tongue ragout. :-S
Hahaha, poor Nonnie.
I can relate somewhat. After I returned from my summer abroad, I was showing my grandparents my photos, and my grandpa said (in his southern Tennessee accent), “What do they speak over there? Spanish?”
Yes, Spanish, Grandpa.
“And you can speak that?”
Yes, Grandpa, I’ve been studying Spanish for 8 years and my second MAJOR is Spanish.
Gotta love grandparents!
Of course blokedom is a compliment…it’s another dialect’s version of “he is teh hott!”, as the youngsters might say hehe. Yes mom, that college edumacation wasn’t wasted!
That Italian food spread looked wonderful. Unfortunately I grew up with scrapple and braunschweiger. And a distinct dearth of coconuts. Though we did have the scent of cocoa butter during the summer months to lift our spirits 🙂
Must I explain every much-used New Zealand word?
I can’t believe our stuff didn’t get out there.
Okay … a bloke is a man.
Blokedom … okay, it’s something I made up but surely it’s clear?
You like tripe … where were you when I was young. You could have had all of mine.
I replied without reading everyone else …
I just did and realised that we’re stunning … your crowd of people … really stunning, and funny and clever and so full of good taste … humble folk, oh yes siree …
Pop on over to my place Sal, I’ve got something to show you ….
Ang: My grandmother often asks if Ines speaks “American.”
Kurt: I’ve read about scrapple. Calvin Trillin (my third favorite author) has written about it with lust in his heart many times. You must be from Pennsylvania, eh?
Lady Di: So…”blokedom” is the equivalent of “dudedom,” eh? My English has improved so much since I’ve met all of you.
Tat: That is absolutely fantastic! What a shocker…especially since I wandered over to your blog before reading your Comment above. I am going to feature that masterpiece tomorrow. I…I think I’m going to cry.
Christina:
I’ve had many a tongue taco at Chicagos many Mexican dives. Great stuff! There’s nothing quite like French-kissing your dinner.
Sal
hahaha… Tat is fab eh?
Just noticed my new side bar link!
Brilliant – You are fab too! :O)
x
Sal:
I’m from Baltimore. But it was a short drive from there up to PA.
Had I known what scrapple was made of, I’m sure I would never have eaten it hehe…though as a kid I did love it. We had it with breakfast, instead of or alongside bacon or sausage. I’ve never even looked for it in the grocery store, and never cooked it as an adult.
But you see the thing is Sal I don’t get my tips out any more !! I’m through with getting my tips out, I haven’t got any tips ! That was the old Tat, you know the lady was a tramp but now the lady is a vamp and I’m more a calamity kinda girl, I think I can be so bold as to say please update that sidebar link, please….
hahaha Oct 18 happy coconut day….
Tat: What? You’ve imposed a “no tipping” policy? Boy…between you and Trac, it’s hard to keep up with all the changes. I think your name change is just a ploy to climb higher on my alphabetized sidebar. And I guess it worked, Ms. Calamity with a “C.”
Kurt: Funny you should mention breakfast. I’m eating it as I type these words. Nutella on toast, and Earl Grey tea for me. No scrapple, although I would eat it if I had it. And yes…I DO know what scrapple is made of. If you grew up in Baltimore, then you must have had crab cakes for lunch. Scrapple and crab cakes…you must be a helluva big guy.
What about me? :O)
No c’est moi I think….
OK Tat…. :O)
I do think tripe deserves a blog post of its own, down’t you?
Sal:
Nah I’m average size…but in fairness I did move away from there over 20 years ago hehe. Though unlike your coconutty self, I’m still working on being able to do Yoga and play Twister simultaneously…I’m not quite limber enough for that yet!
traveller:
Tripe is nasty. Even my dog wouldn’t eat it 🙂