Food city area

Tequila!

I am reading <i>Tequila! A Natural and Cultural History</i> by Ana G. Valenzuela-Zapata and Gary Paul Nabhan. Science and poetic description combine beautifully as the author describes the taxonomy of the agave plant used in the beverage, its long history beginning in prehistoric Mexico, and the lives and traditions of the Mexican agricultural workers who plant, cultivate, and harvest the agave crop. Valenzuela-Zapata describes their hard physical labor and the taxing heat and aridity of the fields, the simple meals they cook and eat while working, and their "quixotic" oral tradition.<br /><br />"Mescaleros are forever spinning yarns about mescal -- the plant and the spirit -- while working in fields or resting in the nearby shade, and while jiving on the street corner or drinking in the cantina on the village plaza," writes the author. "They keep up their running commentary while bolting for cover during a sudden downpour, or cursing the sun as it bakes the plants they have tended for seasons." (p. 31)<br /><br />The labor continues in the distilleries where huge harvested "pinas" are roasted and their liquid fermented, possibly with sugar, into a variety of tequilas. The lore continues, backward and forward in time, in many traditions of eating and drinking the fruit of this very widespread plant.<br /><br />Two images kept recurring in  my mind. One was of a worker taking care of huge agave plants at Lotus Land, an eccentric botanical garden in Santa Barbara that I visited in 2003; you can see the large pine-cone-like agave bulb similar to that used to make tequila:<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMi40OfqYJ46Ub_Pb6k0yU-F89G0zce3PwcvF_FV1Ra7h-T4Fko5f8NJsbsRAqjtAfsXyc6RW4SKX7lxMubxWmFTJD0D93mLmBU3fUZhByjJDKfOdgnKv9kXHzzdN4FZlDv5fTXhGF-DU_/s1600/114_1403.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMi40OfqYJ46Ub_Pb6k0yU-F89G0zce3PwcvF_FV1Ra7h-T4Fko5f8NJsbsRAqjtAfsXyc6RW4SKX7lxMubxWmFTJD0D93mLmBU3fUZhByjJDKfOdgnKv9kXHzzdN4FZlDv5fTXhGF-DU_/s400/114_1403.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />The second image is of Mayahuel, Aztec goddess of agave, mentioned at various points in the book:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhUwFnllBjcnhBYZnvPy8d-hi-w_SWnLLNdXbIjVChCIgDLJCFPvfwQ8K3DiyxbZ1HXG_y7Y53wnuH3eNF16c8NwN8YkLuDP_uA9pZNfDlZfboRY8jWFMack4n7fCL1yOdQ_MfHrO_qMUu/s1600/mayahuel-goddess.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhUwFnllBjcnhBYZnvPy8d-hi-w_SWnLLNdXbIjVChCIgDLJCFPvfwQ8K3DiyxbZ1HXG_y7Y53wnuH3eNF16c8NwN8YkLuDP_uA9pZNfDlZfboRY8jWFMack4n7fCL1yOdQ_MfHrO_qMUu/s640/mayahuel-goddess.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />I'm looking forward to a lively discussion of the book in my culinary book club next week.

Tequila!

I am reading Tequila! A Natural and Cultural History by Ana G. Valenzuela-Zapata and Gary Paul Nabhan. Science and poetic description combi...

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09.43

Turkey Sushi

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOVVOHb00E6KhCuGl8ZqX0M-pJwmHcXhPrW8ZWlFdzBfFPV5IETrWroUB_0oPSF8coSmGIMqBcvQ6dhOdlsX7q1n46eft0nMNFQh99Jso0DnOOHgg7EjgAEER1CXqaEjs2hzClbHXJDtPk/s1600/turkeysushi1615.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOVVOHb00E6KhCuGl8ZqX0M-pJwmHcXhPrW8ZWlFdzBfFPV5IETrWroUB_0oPSF8coSmGIMqBcvQ6dhOdlsX7q1n46eft0nMNFQh99Jso0DnOOHgg7EjgAEER1CXqaEjs2hzClbHXJDtPk/s640/turkeysushi1615.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />For lunch, we couldn't go out for sushi since we still had a lot of turkey and other leftovers from Thanksgiving dinner. So I made Thanksgiving sushi, as illustrated above. Then we got in the car and drove from Lafayette to Ann Arbor where we are safely home. We have no leftovers here so maybe we'll have fish sushi or some other not so Thanksgiving-y dinner.

Turkey Sushi

For lunch, we couldn't go out for sushi since we still had a lot of turkey and other leftovers from Thanksgiving dinner. So I made Thank...

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14.42

Fresh Eggs

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcNcVpdE2yyRzNw_3IMamNIJo5t7hyfodzCjdtSaIMTY9gOT-RVhrvR-ZO6UkzUtsdAMzckoVFMIFaCeO4hDdopyVw-YIZEMp_0b2j46NAj91uqWyQQjNGX2d6lJoGRKx5-YX3sDZkCcGB/s1600/IMG_1608.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcNcVpdE2yyRzNw_3IMamNIJo5t7hyfodzCjdtSaIMTY9gOT-RVhrvR-ZO6UkzUtsdAMzckoVFMIFaCeO4hDdopyVw-YIZEMp_0b2j46NAj91uqWyQQjNGX2d6lJoGRKx5-YX3sDZkCcGB/s320/IMG_1608.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />The whitish green eggs are from a hen named Jello and the brown eggs are from a hen named Marguerite. Jello and Marguerite and another hen all live in the back yard of our neighbors, who gave us these wonderful eggs. We brought them along for our Thanksgiving visit to Lafayette.<br /><br />When I cracked them open, I could see how fresh they looked:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVhxeUpKamASvMQcIfxh6aMC9zPmMw7mrDsGJgdEFAWVOEyDNfBujaIXv9-v4NBMg-eCOxomgkvb_dqyeiayNOmI_KLV5gCq5zbqQ9P1YHyKUfuSDRxxjaZpM4gERu9UliIhZiPkM59Jnc/s1600/IMG_1610.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVhxeUpKamASvMQcIfxh6aMC9zPmMw7mrDsGJgdEFAWVOEyDNfBujaIXv9-v4NBMg-eCOxomgkvb_dqyeiayNOmI_KLV5gCq5zbqQ9P1YHyKUfuSDRxxjaZpM4gERu9UliIhZiPkM59Jnc/s320/IMG_1610.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />I made them into a tortilla espanola, that is, a potato omelet.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN38fIR1n7lKmtmATvXXaPPXNeCUcxKyGA_QEryz5g3PgPtiMV7sBeWIHQM6145ch4YrawyjJbOA8tJA1wTRXbBjO_YkRurdw6s7vKYrpAXPz59LbwcSQUwVrz-KI7qywMBnYthPEThy0c/s1600/IMG_1613.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN38fIR1n7lKmtmATvXXaPPXNeCUcxKyGA_QEryz5g3PgPtiMV7sBeWIHQM6145ch4YrawyjJbOA8tJA1wTRXbBjO_YkRurdw6s7vKYrpAXPz59LbwcSQUwVrz-KI7qywMBnYthPEThy0c/s320/IMG_1613.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />We have eaten it all! We are thankful to our neighbors for the lovely eggs.

Fresh Eggs

The whitish green eggs are from a hen named Jello and the brown eggs are from a hen named Marguerite. Jello and Marguerite and another hen a...

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13.22

Dinner!

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcemCsnBw4mMasvHiEvWrUNFwb1dXp38s5JR2QQbw34_jurbI75zzV7jE4pPgciqu1WREz722-N35Q8oE4XoovGuz0o0rcskTBWMV_WeB5ihLRBNWBpPqspKujzp_sxEfNTksEh_jeoEwW/s1600/IMG_1595.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcemCsnBw4mMasvHiEvWrUNFwb1dXp38s5JR2QQbw34_jurbI75zzV7jE4pPgciqu1WREz722-N35Q8oE4XoovGuz0o0rcskTBWMV_WeB5ihLRBNWBpPqspKujzp_sxEfNTksEh_jeoEwW/s400/IMG_1595.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq_jjpLwSchEevtOiHVMw1L1Yy9XfNgs8xvB95SqfYMKMeyMsE-ASn2mtqZL_JPBsVdk4O1GL3g-Rjgeeyeo6KOZx5bHMO0kLhPJu9zbgflxieZWSjWCESdHjSgwGF654gEOPo5R3KIpp1/s1600/IMG_1592.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq_jjpLwSchEevtOiHVMw1L1Yy9XfNgs8xvB95SqfYMKMeyMsE-ASn2mtqZL_JPBsVdk4O1GL3g-Rjgeeyeo6KOZx5bHMO0kLhPJu9zbgflxieZWSjWCESdHjSgwGF654gEOPo5R3KIpp1/s400/IMG_1592.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Turkey, cranberry sauce, plum chutney, and several vegetables</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOCrojtKi5C1gMz8d_KiZOX4IZW6UfWBlEbS9GZDnf4VVfP0gs9OQ-AP7MP98nTlmEXlYJgQjYzUvOoMecZ9tziGujlwVAHn2_klP6OHkbAdW4hgB2MY7RluBT2e-bIWhcHgO7YMT1QSmm/s1600/IMG_1599.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOCrojtKi5C1gMz8d_KiZOX4IZW6UfWBlEbS9GZDnf4VVfP0gs9OQ-AP7MP98nTlmEXlYJgQjYzUvOoMecZ9tziGujlwVAHn2_klP6OHkbAdW4hgB2MY7RluBT2e-bIWhcHgO7YMT1QSmm/s640/IMG_1599.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ready to eat...</span></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV1jdp1KkIrk54iPcaVIVLtdqvHX67gV8KjkSK_cRnfBiFAWHLigwgAOHClpYKRflclDq3z3xznvavOr_hP_fb6tYhFRMgJ43dt2QNkLyeyd1PQtRqrS-AXin4tdiMJxNwip5NCoM4OTQ8/s1600/IMG_1601.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV1jdp1KkIrk54iPcaVIVLtdqvHX67gV8KjkSK_cRnfBiFAWHLigwgAOHClpYKRflclDq3z3xznvavOr_hP_fb6tYhFRMgJ43dt2QNkLyeyd1PQtRqrS-AXin4tdiMJxNwip5NCoM4OTQ8/s400/IMG_1601.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Apple pie, chocolate pie, cranberry bread</i></span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBDHBqQgC9PL7bGW4xa-INIOQDIVufFhiZVw8PAy0Jp52nJmbKisbt1RKTDAJeqWERW6QgSMaonhRd3o7-VCl5mTI_HDdiEcmkN7d5c1wLXrBAaxq4Poas3XJSlllXdpLDDfdLEfCqHFFf/s1600/IMG_1587.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBDHBqQgC9PL7bGW4xa-INIOQDIVufFhiZVw8PAy0Jp52nJmbKisbt1RKTDAJeqWERW6QgSMaonhRd3o7-VCl5mTI_HDdiEcmkN7d5c1wLXrBAaxq4Poas3XJSlllXdpLDDfdLEfCqHFFf/s400/IMG_1587.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Our turkey centerpiece</i></span></div>

Dinner!

Turkey, cranberry sauce, plum chutney, and several vegetables Ready to eat... Apple pie, chocolate pie, cranberry bread Our turkey centerpiece

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18.27

Vector Field with Garlic

Vector Field with Garlic

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11.50

Thanksgiving Underway

By the time we arrived here in West Lafayette, the turkey was in the oven and almost everything ready to cook for Thanksgiving dinner, which will be later this afternoon. Also, Elaine had lunch all ready for us. What luxury!<br /><br />After lunch, she recruited Len and Larry to make some roast vegetables on the grill outside. It's over 60 degrees -- perfect for a bit of outdoor cooking: <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZJHyMPO5TcyvtZlG9M7sEZCSH6KJ1hKMYfnSDf8jTd36ZKP47QEns7rR-CaeBKKgwD9MoPYuyEyQ-3Y2BKQm4qm4_o78EBl8OA4ulSGdAzDwrztn_F3pHhJltfr9rp-QBFyxLNgs0lvKp/s1600/IMG_1564.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZJHyMPO5TcyvtZlG9M7sEZCSH6KJ1hKMYfnSDf8jTd36ZKP47QEns7rR-CaeBKKgwD9MoPYuyEyQ-3Y2BKQm4qm4_o78EBl8OA4ulSGdAzDwrztn_F3pHhJltfr9rp-QBFyxLNgs0lvKp/s640/IMG_1564.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />Delia was doing a little cooking in a frisbee before actually playing frisbee or jumping rope with Joel:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifympiUESiT4VqqkQTziUKt9DzZKujjhBuz4_HMaQclWqi10M92MxhSyeHsLzsUFo1_RfnoFZmgD3i7yoYuD1ZEkP7Dv9cNKIP6qmneaPwueGXXGPZJu4m6bdDo-MMOFHStUiHSYunFR6R/s1600/IMG_1568.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifympiUESiT4VqqkQTziUKt9DzZKujjhBuz4_HMaQclWqi10M92MxhSyeHsLzsUFo1_RfnoFZmgD3i7yoYuD1ZEkP7Dv9cNKIP6qmneaPwueGXXGPZJu4m6bdDo-MMOFHStUiHSYunFR6R/s400/IMG_1568.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoD6O9DXhwfa11rdwrVw6zUTxVgpmkbQwqB-NY3NC1jmKD37lwNE49V-VCi_vpjb5FVOh8XNx8MtEBZAsCR-JdRxYn3yx7pp09dD44yJmVqe8YqRMTTJfNDaXLCUO4HNr5LFXAygrbN8Lu/s1600/IMG_1569.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoD6O9DXhwfa11rdwrVw6zUTxVgpmkbQwqB-NY3NC1jmKD37lwNE49V-VCi_vpjb5FVOh8XNx8MtEBZAsCR-JdRxYn3yx7pp09dD44yJmVqe8YqRMTTJfNDaXLCUO4HNr5LFXAygrbN8Lu/s320/IMG_1569.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Vegetables cooking</i></span></div>