Friday Musings

So I have come to realize that a lot of others will post random musings on their blogs, not just the latest family happenings. I decided I would attempt it as well, to add some variety to this blog.

I thought I would take some space here to post some thoughts on something I am quite fond of . . . food. I am especially fond of it since my being diagnosed with diabetes and my diet that I have been on for several months now (absence does make the heart grow fonder).

These are some things I very much enjoy.

Barbecue. Alright all you non-Southerners, I'm not talking about anything that is cooked on a grill, I mean barbecue, which is pork - or pulled pork. I have my favorites, but I will try anything. Give me my choice, and I will ask for Dreamland (their ribs are fantastic as well). I got hooked on this stuff while living in Birmingham, AL, and swore that I would die with a rib lodged in an artery.

Ice cream. Thank heavens there have been major advances in the no sugar added variety lately, because I would die if I could no longer enjoy the stuff.

Chocolate. I've always liked chocolate, but my time in Switzerland on my mission brought me to new levels. The Lindt brand (especially the Pistachio) still is my favorite, but I also liked a Swiss brand called Frey. In a pinch, a good Rittersport or Milka bar was also good. Milka is a German brand, and the first place I served on my mission, Loerrach, was a small town in southwestern Germany that had a Milka factory. When the wind blew just right, the whole town smelled like brownies. This was absolute torture on Fast Sundays.

Cheese. While on my mission, one of my companions and I went on a quest to try the stinkiest cheeses we could find - anything with the word "mountain (Berg)" in the name was always a pretty good bet. I suppose I am partial to the Swiss varieties (Emmental, Appenzell, Gruyere), but I am also fond of some others, including Mozarella, Cheddar, Tilsiter, Edam, Gouda, and Parmesan.

Fondue. Another love I developed in Switzerland. While I have never actually had a dessert fondue (I made one disastrous attempt at some diabetic-friendly chocolate fondue once that looked and tasted like mud - just ask Leigh Ann, or our friends Andy and Rheanna Stevens), I have tried several others. I am particularly fond of cheese fondue - primarily a good Gruyere and Emmental blend, or an Appenzell fondue - but I also like meat fondues, especially Fondue Bourguignonne and Fondue Chinoise. Similarly, I also was introduced to, and love, Raclette, a dish where you melt slices of a special cheese (Raclette cheese) in a special oven, then scrape it over foods, particularly potatoes.

Seafood. My favorite freshwater fish is Rainbow Trout. I love it. But I also like most seafood. I prefer fresh, but I also like the fish and chips that I can get at our local Bag of Nails pub-style restaurant. Scoma's on Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco remains a favorite.

German food. Luckily Columbus has a German village, which contains a nice restaurant called Schmidt's Sausage Haus. They make their own Bratwurst and Garlic Knockwurst, and they are excellent. I usually just take advantage of their all-you-can-eat buffet, which features all their sausages, a great sausage stew, as well as German potato salad, Sauerkraut, and Rotkohl (red cabbage). For some reason, though, my son hates the place, and become hysterical everytime he goes there. Needless to say, it has been some time since I have eaten there. One of these days maybe we'll figure out what his problem is there.

Those are the highlights.