Saturday, April 23, 2016

Conversations

     Today you get two for the price of one.


     1. Traditions

     For yesterday evening’s Passover dinner, Beth made sauerbraten, one of my favorites among the many recipes in her repertoire. The following exchange ensued:

     FWP: Say, who first came up with the idea of sauerbraten? Was it accidental?
     CSO: No, probably someone ate a chunk of meat pickled to preserve it and decided it would be good if it was just a little milder, maybe with a nice gravy and some spaetzele on the side.

     FWP: I was thinking it might be accidental, like the way Africans discovered that you have to boil cassava to detoxify it. Aren’t a lot of culinary developments that way?
     CSO: Some. Like that Heineken commercial.
     FWP: “It’s just a big sea cockroach! Why would the first man eat this?”

     CSO: Exactly. At least on Passover we Jews actually answer the questions.
     FWP: Yeah, yeah. “Why is tonight different from all other nights? Because tonight we eat in the dining room and use the good china.”

     And I alone am escaped to tell thee.


     2. Titles.

     CSO: Isn’t Fluffy [our longhaired Maine Coon] locked up?
     FWP: Yeah, why?

     CSO: Because I’ve got Fluffy hair all over my clean clothes.
     FWP: Consider it her legacy.

     CSO: “The Fluffy Legacy.” If only Robert Ludlum were still alive!
     FWP: Hey, death hasn’t stopped V. C. Andrews.
     CSO: True, true.

     (NB: Our four cats have their own room, where we confine them when an artisan is scheduled to come by. Today is Exorcise All The Annoying Plumbing Noises Day. Just a little reassurance for any “born free” animal rights absolutists out there.)

1 comment:

Kathleen said...

Pesach Sameach!