Food Weirdness

Oh, the strange things that inspire blog posts...

Back in December I was in Bath & Body Works stocking up on hand soap and I bought this:

I recently started using it in the kitchen and I love the way it smells. Actually, I like the smell and taste of pear "stuff," especially in my sauvignon blanc, but I canNOT eat an actual pear. I think it's the texture and it kinda grosses me out. This got me thinking about other food oddities.

Bananas. I'll eat bananas, though they're not my favorite, but I can't stand banana flavored things. And really, banana flavored things seem so over-the-top. Exceptions: I do like banana bread, and I LOVE plantains, maybe because they're usually doctored up with not-good-for-you seasonings. And speaking of not-good-for-you, I also really like the Bananas Foster dessert at Brennan's in New Orleans, but I'm not likely to order it anywhere else, and don't even attempt to get me to eat a banana split. Blech. ***Holy shit, I just found out that Brennan's is closed. This makes me sad. Aaron and I have very fond memories of that place and here's a picture of us there for our anniversary in 2012.

Broccoli and cauliflower. Do not even try to tell me that if I like one I should like the other. No. I love broccoli: raw or cooked. I despise cauliflower. I cannot stand it. Cauliflower could go to Asshole Island and I'd be perfectly happy. Perhaps I should seek therapy over my intense hatred of cauliflower. Full disclosure: a couple weeks ago Amy D made a cauliflower soup but fortunately I didn't know that's what it was before I ate it. It was all garlicky and shit, though, so that makes everything better.

Strawberries. I really like fresh strawberries and I like strawberry jam (especially homemade), but I do NOT like strawberry ice cream or candy or drinks or desserts. True story: when we were kids and we'd go out to eat at Elby's Big Boy (as it was known in PA), the only thing my brother would eat was strawberry pie. I mean that was his dinner. Yuck. Anyway, I have an exception to this rule as well: the strawberry balsamic martini at Marcella's is one of my favorite drinks ever. Of course, Marcella's is on the Restaurant Odyssey and at our pace, we won't get there until a year from now.


I know I'm not the only person who has quirks about food, so tell me yours!


For this week's #backthatazzup entry, follow my train of thought here. "Banana" made me think of Bananarama and I chose "Cruel Summer" because right about now I'm dreaming of summer.

Just Stop

Dear Congress,

Welcome to Asshole Island. This is a magical place where we send all the assholes so they will never bother us again. Your stay here will be open-ended and hopefully miserable, since we've sent all the mosquitoes here as well. Enjoy.

The government shutdown is over. For now. Don't be surprised when we're feeling a sense of déjà vu in a few months. The assholes in Congress have been compared to toddlers more than once and here's another similarity: now that they've made a big ole mess of things, they're taking a break. Poor babies dragged out all their toys but other people have to clean them up. AND ... of course this eleventh hour deal couldn't be straightforward; there were some random provisions in there about an Ohio River dam project, a post-flood rebuilding project in Colorado and a death benefit payment to a Senator's widow. Look, I'm not saying those things individually aren't important, but what the hell do they have to do with ending the shutdown? Just stop.

I keep hearing that the cost of the shutdown is $24 billion dollars. We'll never know the REAL cost of the shutdown because trust me, there will be ripple effects, and there are numerous intangibles of how this mess screwed up people's lives. I think the debt ceiling probably needs raised even more just to be able to pay for a giant temper tantrum. Just stop.

I wish all of Congress would get voted out, but the problem is that the people who might actually do some good are all too smart and/or scared to put themselves through a campaign. Campaigns suck. Why can't you just tell me where you stand on the issues and what you hope to do if elected (don't bullshit me by telling me what you WILL do, because it's not all up to you). Just stop.

I really wish Asshole Island were a real place. Let's get to work on that, shall we?

Oh, and welcome to the Senate, Cory Booker. Have fun with that.