[lit-ideas] of liver, evil, and John W's tag-line

From: "Julie Krueger" <juliereneb@xxxxxxxxx>
To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Thu, 6 Nov 2008 03:25:00 -0600
I have had no personal encounter with calf brains, kidneys, or tripe, pig's
feet, gizzards, or hearts.  My Mother once, when I was a child, purchased a
cow tongue because she was curious to know how it tasted.  She followed
Betty Crocker's (or some equivalent) instructions in preparing it.  By the
time she had peeled the layer of skin off she was almost to ill to cook it.
I think it did end up in the oven, but I am absolutely sure it never made it
to the table.  She used to do liver & onions as a special treat for my Dad
-- one whiff of the odor was enough to make me and my brothers hide in
corners.  Actually, later, I came to think the odor was rather pleasant, but
I still won't eat it because there is this incredibly grainy, sandy, texture
to it -- for those of you who partake of animal organs, is that peculiar to
the liver or is it a trait of internal organs in general?

When Mom cooked a turkey for Thanksgiving or what have you, the internal
organs they pack inside in the little pouch were always diced up into her
gravy.

I don't do that.  My dog & cats get them instead.  They lend an almost ....
sour?.....not really bitter...a taste I can't define but do not like.

Okra is also evil -- I'm so sorry, Mike, but some things simply must be
said.

Re. grilling vs. barbecuing -- grilling in my world takes place under the
broiler in an oven.  Barbecuing takes place out doors over coals.  ?

I never, never, ever meant to diss onions.  It was the LIVER part of the
liver & onions to which I referred (I said liverandonions in the same breath
because I haven't encountered liver prepared w/out onions).  Onions simply
have become an unfortunate part of the rather ugly liver as edible notion.

Onions are one of nature's finest gifts.  I adore baking them with liberal
amounts of butter, salt, & pepper, and sometimes throwing in some heads of
garlic also (baked the garlic does not have the lasting breath-pungency
normally associated with it).

Red onions in salads.  Sauteed onions with anything and everything.  Just
say yes to onions.

But more ubiquitous must be garlic.  I have a hard time thinking of
something I cook that I don't put garlic in, barring deserts.

For the most die-hard fans of garlic out there, the Frugal Gourmet actually
has a recipe for home-made garlic ice-cream which he swears, despite the
somewhat shocking notion, is sweet and delicious.

No, I have not tried it.

Chicken liver wrapped in bacon reminds me of the scallops my Mother used to
grill, bacon-wrapped.  There was something about the taste of scallops that
invariably and for no good reason made me immediately ill.  As in nauseated
rush to the bathroom sink ill.  I'm a huge fan of seafood ... but there's
something unique about scallops.  Oddly, some grocery store many years ago
was handing out samples of fake crab meat.  It was devoid of scallops, but
had almost the identically sickening flavour.  I barely made it out of the
building in time.

Re. evil -- a good friend of mine, who makes both Michael Moore and Mike
Geary look like hard-core right-wing conservatives, says "...however I also
believe in evil and the power of lies and ignorance."  John Wager's
signature line suggests the same.  It's as good an explanation as any.

Irene -- your particular phrasing struck me -- you like "the idea" of Obama
being elected.  It makes me want to ask you how you feel about the fact of
Obama being elected.

Finally, "rehabilitating organ meats" by eating them is a striking and
somewhat disturbing notion.  I'm not sure "paradoxical" stretches and
reaches that far.

de gustibus...
**

>
>  Chicken livers wrapped in bacon and broiled to a nice brownish consistency
>> admit no evil.
>>
>
> Yes!  Chicken liver wrapped in bacon and grilled (what you and all your
> non-Southern friends probably call barbecued -- but barbecuing is a wholly
> tottally different thing) is delectable.  Julie's rejection of onions stuns
> me.  I could eat sweet onions (Vidalia and Walla Walla, especially) like
> apples.  I love sweet onions.
>
> When I was a kid, Mom often cooked us calf brains with grits --
> scrumptuous! Haven't had it for many years now.  No longer even see it in
> the grocery stores.  One of favorite dishes is still stewed okra and
> tomatoes.  The slimier the better.
>
> It's always fun to disgust others with one's culinary delights.
>
> Mike Geary
> Memphis
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Eric Yost" <mr.eric.yost@xxxxxxxxx>
> To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Wednesday, November 05, 2008 10:30 PM
> Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: President Obama
>
>
>  Julie: An aside -- is there still anyone who does not believe liver &
>> onions to be simple & pure evil?
>>
>>
>> Me. Onions are essential. Also tripe, baked calf's heart, and with a nod
>> to our friends across the Atlantic, kidney pie. (The kidneys must be
>> properly drained.) Tongue is good, whether beef or lamb, also sweetmeats.
>> Further, nodding toward John's general region, shark fin soup is a delight,
>> as are skate wings, and it is possible to jump up and down for frog's legs,
>> if properly rendered.
>>
>> Organ meats have a bad rap, Julie. It's about time they were
>> rehabilitated. And why not the whole creature? Oyster shooters make glad the
>> hearts of the brave.
>>
>>
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-- 
Julie Krueger
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