I gave my love a cherry that had no stone

[sovay]

My poem "Crossing the Line," which is about and dedicated to my mother, is now online at Goblin Fruit. Hello, internet publication!

From a recipe salvaged from one of the numberless back issues of Gourmet that were recently put out for recycling, my father and I made negimaki—like sushi, only with scallions and flank steak—last night. They were delicious. We couldn't find mirin for the marinade in the local liquor store, but that was the only hitch. Pounding the flank steak to a thickness of one-sixteenth of an inch was also peculiarly therapeutic. Our house smelled like a Japanese restaurant until this morning, when my mother made pear cake.

I had spam today from Jove Scroggins.

Comments

[palecast.livejournal.com]

It's a lovely poem - many congratulations. I am a sucker for anything to do with the sea. A bottle with a ghost ship stoppered inside... oh yes I like that. And what a gem of a website.

[matt-wallace.livejournal.com]

I always liked the word "drachma." I just wish it had a more readily useable definition.

I dig your mom's style. She sounds like a very cool lady. Did she ever cross paths with any other ancient gods and/or goddesses?

[strange-selkie.livejournal.com]

NO MORE PUTTING THE GOURMET OUT FOR RECYCLING. You wrap them up in brown paper and send them cheap-ass book rate TO ME.

*feels the capslock is justified* How can you recycle old Gourmets? What about the encapsulation of food culture decade by decade? What about the wacky food photography? And the ADS?

[strange-selkie.livejournal.com]

If by 'cross paths with' you mean 'clearly is'.

[lesser-celery.livejournal.com]

Great to see "Crossing the Line" in print. The poem and the story it tells are cool.

[lesser-celery.livejournal.com]

Back when I still had lots of time to cook (1985-88), I subscribed to both Gourmet and Bon Appetit. I have a half-shelf of them on the bookcase in my kitchen. They're historical documents, and I still use some of the recipes. Nowadays in a less time-havin' era, I often go online to get recipes from Epicurious.

[strange-selkie.livejournal.com]

:) I enjoy the fact that Epi has a few decades of recipes to put at my fingertips, but old magazines are one of my joys. I was so bummed when they put the National Geographic Magazine CD's out without the old ads in them. How will I know how these people lived in the 1920's and '50's and '70's without their advertisements?

[rushthatspeaks.livejournal.com]

Mirin will be in the grocery store, not the liquor store, next to the soy sauce and labeled 'Chinese cooking wine'.

I am very fond of the poem.

[thewriteratwork.livejournal.com]

I *love* the old ads in National Geographic. As I kid, I lived for the camera ads (and of course, the brand escapes me) -- they featured a different animal every month. I had a huge cache of '70s Nat Geos that I would pour through on rainy days and winter vacations...*happy sigh*

[strange-selkie.livejournal.com]

Those were the Minolta ads! With the gorillas/hummingbirds/bats. They were great.

[thewriteratwork.livejournal.com]

YES!!! They were so cool -- they always seemed to feature some small, furred animal I'd never heard of, and I'd be in swoons at the coolness of it.

[thewriteratwork.livejournal.com]

I love reading you, for a variety of reasons; one being all the great lit mags I learn about -- thank you!

[sovay]

I am a sucker for anything to do with the sea.

I am the same way.

And what a gem of a website.

You should send them something!

[sovay]

How can you recycle old Gourmets? What about the encapsulation of food culture decade by decade? What about the wacky food photography? And the ADS?

Believe me, I tried to argue my mother out of it. She had issues from 1973. But she was adamant, and they were put out for the recycling (and I think picked up by a neighbor, because their box disappeared before the cans and bottles did), and I am sorry I didn't know to send them to you!

[sovay]

and labeled 'Chinese cooking wine'

. . . because that makes sense.

I am very fond of the poem.

Thank you! It's one of the recent pieces I'm really proud of. And my mother also likes it, which is a bonus.

[sovay]

The poem and the story it tells are cool.

I love that I didn't have to make anything up.

[sovay]

one being all the great lit mags I learn about -- thank you!

You're welcome. You should send them stuff!

[strange-selkie.livejournal.com]

Merf. Shnergle. Sins of the parents.

Are you healthy yet? Are you approaching robust? I'm quite concerned you won't see our lovely flat (it's really lovely, and a flat in the European style of 'oh, they just don't make house-shaped houses around here') before we have to move out of it.

[sovay]

I'm quite concerned you won't see our lovely flat (it's really lovely, and a flat in the European style of 'oh, they just don't make house-shaped houses around here') before we have to move out of it.

Are you planning to move in the near future? Because I'm not planning on a lifelong convalescence; a year of this has been quite enough, thank you kindly.

[strange-selkie.livejournal.com]

Yes, we're looking to move in March or April, either to MD or DC where I can actually adopt offspring. :)

[ap-aelfwine.livejournal.com]

Congratulations! That's a lovely poem, there, and a wonderful story behind it.

The negimaki sounds lovely, as does the house-smelling-like-a-Japanese-restaurant, as does the pear cake.