Rachel Manija Brown's Blog, page 116
April 10, 2019
Bull Cook and Authentic Historical Recipes and Practices, by George Leonard Herter & Berthe Herter
I have no idea how I obtained this book. This is not that uncommon for me, as I often grab books from used bookshops, garage sales, library sales and giveaway shelves, etc, and then don’t get around to reading them for years. And years.
I do remember why I obtained it, which is that I thought it was exactly what it said it was: a compendium of historical American recipes and cooking practices.
HA HA HA HA OH BOY WAS I WRONG. And wrong in the most serendipitous way. This book is so much more awesome than that, in the sense of the xkcd comic (“It’s like a sword, but awesomer.”) Had I known the wonders that awaited within its peculiarly metallic cover, I would have opened it way sooner.
While waiting for my bread to rise, I idly pulled it from the shelf, opened it at random, and read this:
Johannes Kepler was a well-known German astrologer. He was born in 1571 and died in 1630. His work on astronomy has long since been forgotten but his creating liverwurst will never be forgotten.
Um, WHAT?
Instantly riveted, I began flipping through. I found…
Spinach Mother of Christ
The Virgin Mary, Mother of Christ was very fond of spinach. This is as well known a fact in Nazareth today as it was 19 centuries ago. Her favorite music was that of the crude bagpipes of that time, and this also is a well-known fact.
Her recipe for preparing spinach spread with Christianity throughout Europe. On the eve of Christ’s birth in the cave that was called a stable, Her only meal was spinach.
And…
The person who named the muskrat should forever be ashamed of himself. If he had given it a nice name such as water opossum, water rabbit, or something of this nature, their carcasses would be worth more than their pelts are today. The name muskrat is simply not appealing to most people from an eating standard.
And…
Pate De Foie Gras was first made for Joan of Arc by one of her army cooks, Jean Baptiste Patrie who was from the goose rearing region of France. Herter then launches into a history of Joan of Arc which begins, Never underestimate the strength and courage of a woman who is really mad at you.
At this point, still trying to figure out whether this was a very elaborate parody or a batshit work of outsider art, I turned to the beginning. Best book opening ever, y/n?
In the lumber camp days and pioneer days the cooks learned from each other and the old world cooks. Each taught the other his country's cooking secrets. Out of the mixing came fine food, prepared as nowhere else in the world. I am putting down some of these recipes that you will not find in cookbooks plus many other historical recipes. Each recipe here is a real cooking secret. I am also publishing for the first time authentic historical recipes of great importance.
For your convenience I will start with meats, fish, eggs, soups and sauces, sandwiches, vegetables, the art of French frying, desserts, how to dress game, how to properly sharpen a knife, how to make wines and beer, how to make French soap and also what to do in case of hydrogen or cobalt bomb attacks, keeping as much in alphabetical order as possible.
Still perplexed and also cracking up, I looked up the author. Batshit work of outsider art it is!
I also enjoyed its Goodreads reviews, such as Holy god was this an AMAZING find at the used bookstore. While a little tough due to a disregard for commas, it's an amazing book to read out loud. With the Myan prediction of the world ending in 2012, I found the sections on what to do if a nuclear winter should occur particularly helpful.
I'd be a miss not to also give the virgin mother a shout out for her spinach recipe.
Also, it's golden. Literally.
And
One of my favorite things about Herter's books is that so many of them feature pictures of toddlers holding shotguns posing by dead animals.
I’ve flipped through this rather than reading cover to cover, but did spot praise for various Confederate figures, who in addition to being very fine men also invented chicken. There’s also a rant about the evil of women’s magazine editors who destroy the natural urge of women to bake by providing them with fake recipes that don’t work. So, general offensive opinions warning as I’m sure there’s plenty more like that, though I have to say that the plot to destroy womanhood via fake recipes for souffles that don’t rise provided me with more hilarity than offense.
In conclusion, the word "madrilene" used in cooking is strictly a phony.
Bull Cook and Authentic Historical Recipes and Practices[image error]
[image error] [image error]
comments
I do remember why I obtained it, which is that I thought it was exactly what it said it was: a compendium of historical American recipes and cooking practices.
HA HA HA HA OH BOY WAS I WRONG. And wrong in the most serendipitous way. This book is so much more awesome than that, in the sense of the xkcd comic (“It’s like a sword, but awesomer.”) Had I known the wonders that awaited within its peculiarly metallic cover, I would have opened it way sooner.
While waiting for my bread to rise, I idly pulled it from the shelf, opened it at random, and read this:
Johannes Kepler was a well-known German astrologer. He was born in 1571 and died in 1630. His work on astronomy has long since been forgotten but his creating liverwurst will never be forgotten.
Um, WHAT?
Instantly riveted, I began flipping through. I found…
Spinach Mother of Christ
The Virgin Mary, Mother of Christ was very fond of spinach. This is as well known a fact in Nazareth today as it was 19 centuries ago. Her favorite music was that of the crude bagpipes of that time, and this also is a well-known fact.
Her recipe for preparing spinach spread with Christianity throughout Europe. On the eve of Christ’s birth in the cave that was called a stable, Her only meal was spinach.
And…
The person who named the muskrat should forever be ashamed of himself. If he had given it a nice name such as water opossum, water rabbit, or something of this nature, their carcasses would be worth more than their pelts are today. The name muskrat is simply not appealing to most people from an eating standard.
And…
Pate De Foie Gras was first made for Joan of Arc by one of her army cooks, Jean Baptiste Patrie who was from the goose rearing region of France. Herter then launches into a history of Joan of Arc which begins, Never underestimate the strength and courage of a woman who is really mad at you.
At this point, still trying to figure out whether this was a very elaborate parody or a batshit work of outsider art, I turned to the beginning. Best book opening ever, y/n?
In the lumber camp days and pioneer days the cooks learned from each other and the old world cooks. Each taught the other his country's cooking secrets. Out of the mixing came fine food, prepared as nowhere else in the world. I am putting down some of these recipes that you will not find in cookbooks plus many other historical recipes. Each recipe here is a real cooking secret. I am also publishing for the first time authentic historical recipes of great importance.
For your convenience I will start with meats, fish, eggs, soups and sauces, sandwiches, vegetables, the art of French frying, desserts, how to dress game, how to properly sharpen a knife, how to make wines and beer, how to make French soap and also what to do in case of hydrogen or cobalt bomb attacks, keeping as much in alphabetical order as possible.
Still perplexed and also cracking up, I looked up the author. Batshit work of outsider art it is!
I also enjoyed its Goodreads reviews, such as Holy god was this an AMAZING find at the used bookstore. While a little tough due to a disregard for commas, it's an amazing book to read out loud. With the Myan prediction of the world ending in 2012, I found the sections on what to do if a nuclear winter should occur particularly helpful.
I'd be a miss not to also give the virgin mother a shout out for her spinach recipe.
Also, it's golden. Literally.
And
One of my favorite things about Herter's books is that so many of them feature pictures of toddlers holding shotguns posing by dead animals.
I’ve flipped through this rather than reading cover to cover, but did spot praise for various Confederate figures, who in addition to being very fine men also invented chicken. There’s also a rant about the evil of women’s magazine editors who destroy the natural urge of women to bake by providing them with fake recipes that don’t work. So, general offensive opinions warning as I’m sure there’s plenty more like that, though I have to say that the plot to destroy womanhood via fake recipes for souffles that don’t rise provided me with more hilarity than offense.
In conclusion, the word "madrilene" used in cooking is strictly a phony.
Bull Cook and Authentic Historical Recipes and Practices[image error]
[image error] [image error]
comments
Who says you can't improvise in baking?
A Bread Improvisation in 5 Photos
I used my favorite peasant bread recipe to create two loaves, one sweet with black sesame paste and one savory with chopped Chinese sausage and hoisin sauce. I added both flavorings before the first prove. Behold my elegant marbled dough!
Then I punched them down and added some decorations. Delicious bread-to-be, or Cthulu at a nine-year-old girl's birthday party?
Ready... Set... BAAAAAAAKE! Isn't the sausage loaf gorgeous?
The sausage loaf had a wonderful crisp crust, but the sesame loaf had a fantastic pull-apart texture.
And eat!
Verdict: Black sesame is good and the texture is excellent, but just making regular bread and spreading sesame on it is a better sesame delivery system.
Chinese sausage bread is GREAT. I had to pop it back in the oven because it didn't bake fully through, but once it did, the taste is phenomenal. I added a little hoisin to the dough and probably could have added more (and possibly put in a little extra flour to compensate.) Also maybe chopped the sausage finer.
Alas, I belatedly realized that I should not leave meat out overnight so I had to stick in in the fridge. So much for the crisp crust! I'm sure it will be great toasted up though.
comments
I used my favorite peasant bread recipe to create two loaves, one sweet with black sesame paste and one savory with chopped Chinese sausage and hoisin sauce. I added both flavorings before the first prove. Behold my elegant marbled dough!
Then I punched them down and added some decorations. Delicious bread-to-be, or Cthulu at a nine-year-old girl's birthday party?
Ready... Set... BAAAAAAAKE! Isn't the sausage loaf gorgeous?
The sausage loaf had a wonderful crisp crust, but the sesame loaf had a fantastic pull-apart texture.
And eat!
Verdict: Black sesame is good and the texture is excellent, but just making regular bread and spreading sesame on it is a better sesame delivery system.
Chinese sausage bread is GREAT. I had to pop it back in the oven because it didn't bake fully through, but once it did, the taste is phenomenal. I added a little hoisin to the dough and probably could have added more (and possibly put in a little extra flour to compensate.) Also maybe chopped the sausage finer.
Alas, I belatedly realized that I should not leave meat out overnight so I had to stick in in the fridge. So much for the crisp crust! I'm sure it will be great toasted up though.
comments
April 9, 2019
BOOM
Chef Nourish on Twitter (link to Yelp review)
Chef Nourish review on Yelp
Chef Nourish review on Facebook
Needless to say, the refund I was promised to receive on Friday, then promised to receive on Monday, has not yet arrived.
ETA: My breakfast today. Which would YOU rather eat?
comments
Chef Nourish review on Yelp
Chef Nourish review on Facebook
Needless to say, the refund I was promised to receive on Friday, then promised to receive on Monday, has not yet arrived.
ETA: My breakfast today. Which would YOU rather eat?
comments
April 8, 2019
The Dawn Wall - Spoiler Post
I have a non-spoilery post also. If you've seen it or don't mind spoilers...
( Read more... )
comments
( Read more... )
comments
The Dawn Wall - No Spoilers
A documentary about Tommy Caldwell's attempts to climb the Dawn Wall of Yosemite, and also about a whole lot of other fascinating things, all of them better encountered unspoiled. I highly recommend not looking up anything about this movie, Tommy Caldwell, or anything related to either of them.
I liked this even better than Free Solo, and I loved Free Solo. It makes a good companion piece to Free Solo because Alex Honnold does his big climb without ropes; if he falls, he dies. Tommy does his big climb with ropes; if he falls, he goes back to the beginning and starts over again. And those climbing methods and outcomes are also the central metaphors of their respective movies. Tommy falls, and falls, and falls; he starts over, and over, and over.
Free Solo inspired me to take up bouldering, where you climb without ropes; if you fall, you fall. (But on to a mat, so you don't get hurt. Usually.) I watched The Dawn Wall after, in the SAME WEEK and in fact a three-day span, I broke three bones in my foot falling badly while bouldering, and was wrongly diagnosed with having had a heart attack while on what I thought was a routine checkup, and didn't find out that it was a test error for over two weeks. (Those were completely unrelated incidents; it's a long story). It was the perfect time to watch a movie about falling, and surviving, and going on.
I'll put up a spoiler post separately. Please don't spoil the movie in comments.
The Dawn Wall is available on Netflix and possibly other places as well.
comments
I liked this even better than Free Solo, and I loved Free Solo. It makes a good companion piece to Free Solo because Alex Honnold does his big climb without ropes; if he falls, he dies. Tommy does his big climb with ropes; if he falls, he goes back to the beginning and starts over again. And those climbing methods and outcomes are also the central metaphors of their respective movies. Tommy falls, and falls, and falls; he starts over, and over, and over.
Free Solo inspired me to take up bouldering, where you climb without ropes; if you fall, you fall. (But on to a mat, so you don't get hurt. Usually.) I watched The Dawn Wall after, in the SAME WEEK and in fact a three-day span, I broke three bones in my foot falling badly while bouldering, and was wrongly diagnosed with having had a heart attack while on what I thought was a routine checkup, and didn't find out that it was a test error for over two weeks. (Those were completely unrelated incidents; it's a long story). It was the perfect time to watch a movie about falling, and surviving, and going on.
I'll put up a spoiler post separately. Please don't spoil the movie in comments.
The Dawn Wall is available on Netflix and possibly other places as well.
comments
Update on various aggravations
1. Chef Rip-Off.
I wrote a complaint to the Attorney General. This caused me to have to send them probably their favorite follow-up of the day, which was "There was a typo in my previous complaint. I accidentally typed "a hamburger bun on wilted lettuce." I meant to write "a hamburger patty on wilted lettuce."
Chef Nourish emailed me today to say that it was impossible to reimburse me on Friday as she had promised as banks aren't open on weekends (what?) but she had refunded my money today. PayPal is still not showing any refund.
ETA: Proof that everything is not homemade, as stated on the website: https://rachelmanija.dreamwidth.org/2271971.html?thread=25852387#cmt25852387
2. The Bookcase.
I forgot to mention that the bookcase people did not give me a mailing address when demanding that I return the bookcase. After repeated emails requesting one, I finally got the return address of "Las Vegas, Nevada." That's it - that's the entire address.
They have not given me a printable postage-paid address label, despite repeated requests. They have not responded to requests for the manufacturer's name or phone number so I can try to call them for replacement parts. I have already complained to Amazon, which says they're a third party and not their responsibility.
ETA: Never mind. After the fifteenth aggravated email, they finally coughed up a printable label. Will a mail person pick it up if I just leave it outside my door (at the top of a flight of stairs, when my mailbox is at the bottom)? I feel like the fact that I have never attempted to personally return a giant defective bookcase or package of comparable size and have no idea how is proof that I am Not A Real Adult (in which case I deeply resent my collection of middle-aged diseases and also menopause.)
comments
I wrote a complaint to the Attorney General. This caused me to have to send them probably their favorite follow-up of the day, which was "There was a typo in my previous complaint. I accidentally typed "a hamburger bun on wilted lettuce." I meant to write "a hamburger patty on wilted lettuce."
Chef Nourish emailed me today to say that it was impossible to reimburse me on Friday as she had promised as banks aren't open on weekends (what?) but she had refunded my money today. PayPal is still not showing any refund.
ETA: Proof that everything is not homemade, as stated on the website: https://rachelmanija.dreamwidth.org/2271971.html?thread=25852387#cmt25852387
2. The Bookcase.
I forgot to mention that the bookcase people did not give me a mailing address when demanding that I return the bookcase. After repeated emails requesting one, I finally got the return address of "Las Vegas, Nevada." That's it - that's the entire address.
They have not given me a printable postage-paid address label, despite repeated requests. They have not responded to requests for the manufacturer's name or phone number so I can try to call them for replacement parts. I have already complained to Amazon, which says they're a third party and not their responsibility.
ETA: Never mind. After the fifteenth aggravated email, they finally coughed up a printable label. Will a mail person pick it up if I just leave it outside my door (at the top of a flight of stairs, when my mailbox is at the bottom)? I feel like the fact that I have never attempted to personally return a giant defective bookcase or package of comparable size and have no idea how is proof that I am Not A Real Adult (in which case I deeply resent my collection of middle-aged diseases and also menopause.)
comments
April 7, 2019
A collection of aggravations
Chump change compared to some other things going on, but what do I really not need right now? Very aggravating things sucking up enormous amounts of my time that are still not fixed!
1. Chef Rip-Off.
Laura Shapiro very kindly offered to chip in for me to get a week of meals at a meal-delivery place as my foot is broken. She provided some links, and I selected Chef Nourish. Doesn't that look delicious and healthy, just what you'd want when both cooking and shopping have suddenly become very difficult?
Hahahaha right.
I thought the meals would be delivered hot. They're not. They're delivered cold in a cooler in the middle of the night (!), two days' worth at a time, and you reheat them. Consequently, all those photos of fried and soft-boiled eggs are false advertising. They don't do eggs at all, except in stuff like burritos, because obviously you can't reheat them.
My first delivery was for breakfast and lunch, when I'd ordered and paid for the more expensive lunch and dinner. Also, this is what I actually got.
This here is breakfast, consisting of an unpleasantly chemical-tasting slice of cake, a tiny cup of equally unpleasant yogurt, some raw walnuts, and two raspberries. Cost averages to $20.
This is dinner, a burger of mediocre quality on wilting iceberg lettuce, chips that are soggy because duh, they've been REFRIGERATED, and a raw tomato. I specifically requested no raw tomatoes. Cost averages to $24.
This all costs over $300 for ONE WEEK. I requested a refund minus the cost of the two delivered meals. They told me they'd refund the money tomorrow. That was last August three days ago. It has not been refunded, and my emails are getting ignored.
2. The Missing Bookcase Parts.
I ordered two bookcases from Amazon. Only one could be put together (by a Task Rabbit guy), as one arrived with the necessary parts missing. I have now spent literally hours and hours attempting to get a replacement for either the parts, or the entire bookcase (with parts included).
The sellers told me it's impossible to send me replacement parts (a bag of screws and stuff, which unfortunately are not generic ones but specifically for this bookcase - the TaskRabbit guy said I'd need those specific ones, and I trust him on that). They also won't send me a replacement bookcase (with parts included) or refund my money unless I return the one I have. The one I have is way too big for me to lift especially since my foot is broken, so if I want to return it apparently I have to hire someone to do that for me. I complained to Amazon and they said it's an independent seller and they can't do anything. I complained to the sellers, and they responded by telling me to call Fedex.
I would forget about the whole thing but I have one bookcase already installed and I need the matching second one. All they need to do is send me a goddamn bag of screws and bolts!
comments
1. Chef Rip-Off.
Laura Shapiro very kindly offered to chip in for me to get a week of meals at a meal-delivery place as my foot is broken. She provided some links, and I selected Chef Nourish. Doesn't that look delicious and healthy, just what you'd want when both cooking and shopping have suddenly become very difficult?
Hahahaha right.
I thought the meals would be delivered hot. They're not. They're delivered cold in a cooler in the middle of the night (!), two days' worth at a time, and you reheat them. Consequently, all those photos of fried and soft-boiled eggs are false advertising. They don't do eggs at all, except in stuff like burritos, because obviously you can't reheat them.
My first delivery was for breakfast and lunch, when I'd ordered and paid for the more expensive lunch and dinner. Also, this is what I actually got.
This here is breakfast, consisting of an unpleasantly chemical-tasting slice of cake, a tiny cup of equally unpleasant yogurt, some raw walnuts, and two raspberries. Cost averages to $20.
This is dinner, a burger of mediocre quality on wilting iceberg lettuce, chips that are soggy because duh, they've been REFRIGERATED, and a raw tomato. I specifically requested no raw tomatoes. Cost averages to $24.
This all costs over $300 for ONE WEEK. I requested a refund minus the cost of the two delivered meals. They told me they'd refund the money tomorrow. That was last August three days ago. It has not been refunded, and my emails are getting ignored.
2. The Missing Bookcase Parts.
I ordered two bookcases from Amazon. Only one could be put together (by a Task Rabbit guy), as one arrived with the necessary parts missing. I have now spent literally hours and hours attempting to get a replacement for either the parts, or the entire bookcase (with parts included).
The sellers told me it's impossible to send me replacement parts (a bag of screws and stuff, which unfortunately are not generic ones but specifically for this bookcase - the TaskRabbit guy said I'd need those specific ones, and I trust him on that). They also won't send me a replacement bookcase (with parts included) or refund my money unless I return the one I have. The one I have is way too big for me to lift especially since my foot is broken, so if I want to return it apparently I have to hire someone to do that for me. I complained to Amazon and they said it's an independent seller and they can't do anything. I complained to the sellers, and they responded by telling me to call Fedex.
I would forget about the whole thing but I have one bookcase already installed and I need the matching second one. All they need to do is send me a goddamn bag of screws and bolts!
comments
April 5, 2019
Wet Grave (Benjamin January # 6), by Barbara Hambly
Important news for people who have been idly contemplating this series, a set of historical mysteries about a black doctor/musician in New Orleans:
1. The ebooks are no longer $24.99. Some of them, including this one, are now $5.99, and they all max out at $9.99.
2. You could probably start the series with this book. Hambly is really good at filling you in on "previously..."
3. There is a fair amount of dark/grim aspects to this book, but 1) nowhere near as much as previous installments, 2) it's frontloaded (starts grim, gets cheerier), 3) it has a really great romance, a solid build-up, and an absolutely delightfully bonkers climax. I'm going to do layered spoilers, from mild to major, in the hope of luring in people on the fence. This one was wonderful to be surprised by, but not really a huge spoiler and also the sort of thing that might serve as an enticement. So if you're hesitant about the series due to grim, click this (and then quickly backtrack.)
( Read more... )
I got stalled on this series for ages (ETA: since 2014, good Lord) due to repeatedly bouncing off book 5, Die Upon a Kiss. The plot of that sounds right up my alley (backstage hijinks at an opera) but I never managed to get past chapter one. I finally skipped it and went on to this one, which I adored.
So basically, the first two-thirds of this book are about the slow, sweet romance of two damaged people in an unjust world, plus a murder investigation, plus a sensitive exploration of grief and trauma and healing. And this is all very good. However, what lifts this book into A++ territory for me is that the last third takes a sudden swerve into absolute batshit OTT adventures with the same characters and enough plot for approximately six pulp adventure novels. It's all well-written and in-character and delightful, and so for me was charming rather than jarring.
Cut for MAJOR spoilers. I will just quote my emails to Layla as I started liveblogging once I hit the last third. ( Read more... )
Grimness quotient: Low, comparatively speaking. References to the heroine having been raped in the past. This is very sensitively/realistically handled, IMO. Gross murder scene at beginning (bugs, etc). Two very sad murders. Death, illness, non-graphic attempted rape. Period-accurate racism and sexism, but counterbalanced by the characters generally coming out OK.
Wet Grave (A Benjamin January Mystery Book 6)[image error]
[image error] [image error]
comments
1. The ebooks are no longer $24.99. Some of them, including this one, are now $5.99, and they all max out at $9.99.
2. You could probably start the series with this book. Hambly is really good at filling you in on "previously..."
3. There is a fair amount of dark/grim aspects to this book, but 1) nowhere near as much as previous installments, 2) it's frontloaded (starts grim, gets cheerier), 3) it has a really great romance, a solid build-up, and an absolutely delightfully bonkers climax. I'm going to do layered spoilers, from mild to major, in the hope of luring in people on the fence. This one was wonderful to be surprised by, but not really a huge spoiler and also the sort of thing that might serve as an enticement. So if you're hesitant about the series due to grim, click this (and then quickly backtrack.)
( Read more... )
I got stalled on this series for ages (ETA: since 2014, good Lord) due to repeatedly bouncing off book 5, Die Upon a Kiss. The plot of that sounds right up my alley (backstage hijinks at an opera) but I never managed to get past chapter one. I finally skipped it and went on to this one, which I adored.
So basically, the first two-thirds of this book are about the slow, sweet romance of two damaged people in an unjust world, plus a murder investigation, plus a sensitive exploration of grief and trauma and healing. And this is all very good. However, what lifts this book into A++ territory for me is that the last third takes a sudden swerve into absolute batshit OTT adventures with the same characters and enough plot for approximately six pulp adventure novels. It's all well-written and in-character and delightful, and so for me was charming rather than jarring.
Cut for MAJOR spoilers. I will just quote my emails to Layla as I started liveblogging once I hit the last third. ( Read more... )
Grimness quotient: Low, comparatively speaking. References to the heroine having been raped in the past. This is very sensitively/realistically handled, IMO. Gross murder scene at beginning (bugs, etc). Two very sad murders. Death, illness, non-graphic attempted rape. Period-accurate racism and sexism, but counterbalanced by the characters generally coming out OK.
Wet Grave (A Benjamin January Mystery Book 6)[image error]
[image error] [image error]
comments
April 1, 2019
Hail the Mighty Hunters!
Layla and I went to Northridge for breakfast at an ube-centric restaurant, Ninang's Cafe (GREAT - more on that later.) While we were in the neighborhood, we noticed a bunch of orange trees growing on the sidewalk, laden with bright fruit.
I invoked the principle of usufruct (use the fruit, i.e., you can pick fruit on public property or limbs overhanging into it or your property, so long as you don't damage the tree) and we pulled over. However, the fruit within easy reach had been thoroughly foraged already.
But we were undaunted! And also, I had not one, but TWO pairs of crutches. And there was a handy fire hydrant for me to lean on...
Truly, fruit foraging is a deeply womanly art going back to the time of the cavewomen, in which brave women warriors set out to pluck the mammoth-fruit. I felt deeply connected to the ancient roots of this hallowed feminine tradition when I clambered from my car just as women once leaped from the backs of their trusty riding-zebras, swinging boldly on my crutches as did the wounded women fruit-hunters of yore.
Behold! The valiant fruit foragers!
The mighty hunters pose for a triumphant shot with their quarry:
We got three. Alas, most were either too high or too small to be grabbed by crutches.
They were delicious.
comments
I invoked the principle of usufruct (use the fruit, i.e., you can pick fruit on public property or limbs overhanging into it or your property, so long as you don't damage the tree) and we pulled over. However, the fruit within easy reach had been thoroughly foraged already.
But we were undaunted! And also, I had not one, but TWO pairs of crutches. And there was a handy fire hydrant for me to lean on...
Truly, fruit foraging is a deeply womanly art going back to the time of the cavewomen, in which brave women warriors set out to pluck the mammoth-fruit. I felt deeply connected to the ancient roots of this hallowed feminine tradition when I clambered from my car just as women once leaped from the backs of their trusty riding-zebras, swinging boldly on my crutches as did the wounded women fruit-hunters of yore.
Behold! The valiant fruit foragers!
The mighty hunters pose for a triumphant shot with their quarry:
We got three. Alas, most were either too high or too small to be grabbed by crutches.
They were delicious.
comments
March 31, 2019
In which no broken foot may cramp my style
Layla and I drove up to Santa Barbara in search of the superbloom. We didn't find any giant fields of poppies, at least not up close, but we did find many lovely flowers in medium blooms, plus an absolutely delightful route in Los Padres National Forest with almost no one there, a great view of the superbloom, and navigable on crutches if you just work at it a bit:
That got me first here:
Then here:
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That got me first here:
Then here:
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