MAGPIE/ Prompt #15

                                    photo/ willow/ magpie tales


WE WERE PLAYING TRUTH OR DARE.  AND I DARED MY PALS TO JOIN ME for a very special fish dinner.  Not such a big deal on its face, but jaws dropped when I told them what I had in mind.  How about a bit of Fugu? 

The infamous puffer fish, lethally poisonous if prepared incorrectly.  But a notorious and very celebrated dish in Japanese cuisine.  Japanese Roulette, any one?  I merely wanted to try a new restaurant around the corner.  After all, there are about 17 licenced Fugu restaurants in the US, and 12 are in New York City.  So how bad can that be?

For some reason I was faced with scepticism.  This from a group that's planning an excursion to investigate Mothman sightings.  There is a festival on Sept. 17, not too late to join the adventure...anyway...

The Japanese Emperor is forbidden to eat Fugu.  From time to time Fugu has been totally banned.  The Tiger Blowfish, which is the most poisonous, is also the most edible.  The Ministry of Health has a list which shows parts that can be consumed safely. The best time to eat Fugu is autumn and winter.  If you die of Fugu poisoning, your friends will know, because you will look like a dead fish.  I just made that up....

Nowadays most Fugu sold comes from fish with a small amount of toxin.  The "Forbidden Fruit" is the liver, still eaten by fools, and amateur cooks, often with fatal results. 

A dish of Fugu can cost about $50. in Japan.  A full dinner, is $200.  Due to the expense, the fish is sliced very carefully to obtain the largest possible amount without poison.  A Hiki knife is used to slice the fish, and is usually stored very carefully in a separate location. 

I'd like to add that even though I'm inviting my friends to some Fugu and Chips, I do understand their point of view.  They may be influenced by the fact that Fugu is totally banned in the European Union. 

I don't like to eat alone and am still waiting for some takers.  Anyone??

The great poet, Buson (1716-1783) wrote this famous Senryu:

       I cannot see her tonight
       I have to give her up
       So I will eat Fugu.



Once again I thank Willow at magpie tales for thinking up this dare, and urge you to check out the other participants!!


http://www.minblu.blogspot.com/
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Last Lines

THIS IS A RATHER SHORT LISTof famous last lines from even more famous movies. Just in case you've forgotten, I'll prompt you a bit.
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Who can forget Vivien Leigh's final words as Scarlett O'Hara in "Gone With the Wind", 1939.
"I'll go home and I'll think of some way to get him back! After all, tomorrow is another day!"
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Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale in "The Wizard of Oz", 1939. "And oh, Auntie Em, there's no place like home."
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Bette Davis as Charlotte Vale in "Now Voyager", 1942. To Paul Henreid: "Oh, Jerry, don't let's ask for the moon. We have the stars."
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Joe E. Brown as Osgood Fielding III, "Some Like It Hot", 1959, to Jack Lemmon: "Well, nobody's perfect!"

Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter, "The Silence of the Lambs", 1991, into the phone: "I do wish we could chat longer, but I'm having an old friend for dinner. Bye."

Humphrey Bogart as Rick Blaine in "Casablanca", 1943, to Claude Rains: "Louie, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

And I hope not last.. So happy to have received this Kreativ Blogger award from the talented and original Marty at Dark Star Discovery. I am one of those creatures who likes to collect stuff. Can't help myself! Will gratefully display this honor! Will blog for food!

Festivities

BITING THE APPLE

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I'm writing as fast as I can... because I've got to leave the space where my computer resides. I live there too.

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It's about 9:00 AM, raining , coldish, here in NYC. Today will rain, the other day it snowed, now almost totally melted into an ugly mush, nothing like purposeless snow. We've also had some crazy contrasts in temperature. Fifteen degrees a few days ago. But that was in the early morning. Warmed up to 26 deg. by afternoon. Two days before that, 67 deg., and for Christmas Day, they say rain, maybe clearing, then rising temp again, up to 50.

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I live high up, can't always see the street, what's falling or landed.

If Milo, my cat, thrusts himself against the window, trying to fly through the glass, it's usually because of snowflake madness. In that instance, I can expect extreme weather. Or else I can turn on the TV, tune in to station 999, and get a live action picture of the lobby, the ever active doorman, and a bit of the street beyond... traffic, but weather most of all. By watching the soap opera, let's call it "The Shabby Arms Chronicles", I can then tell if I need an umbrella.

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It being the morning of Christmas Eve, my big rush to get out is so that I can join a group of other volunteers . We will meet at a landmark church on 5 th Avenue and 90 th street, where we'll prepare a lavish dinner to serve tomorrow, Christmas day to anyone who may be poor, or alone, or homeless, or hungry. This area of New York is rich and famous and too often, infamous. Also average, or less, scraping two pennies together. I'm in between. How can this be? Well, NY has a special way of being side by side. That's why our illustrious mayor rides the subway every day to City Hall.

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Greed and overreaching. Generosity and concern. Everything overlaps. Even the irredeemable get kissed under the mistletoe. It's about to be Christmas, and most of us really wish to hold on to the spirit of the day, for another day, and another.

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Back from the church. Rain really pounding, umbrella almost turned inside out, a red, spiny mess. I can buy a new one , the umbrella sellers pop up on any given street corner at the first drizzle. They always know, much sooner than the weatherpersons on TV.

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The chef who does all the holiday dinners, was busy assembling tons of roast beef, some folks were chopping veggies, huge pans of potatos appeared , waiting to be baked, all fixings, cakes, pies, muffins. And how does all this fit in? Well, the church is affiliated with a school, and the facilities are shared. So the two gyms are converted to dining rooms. White table cloths cover the tables. Candles and decorations add to the festivities. And usually at least 300 guests are served in two sittings.

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I became part of the peanut and jelly brigade. Three hundred sandwiches for tomorrow, for the guests to take with them in a baggie that will contain perhaps, an apple, a banana, some cookies for a snack, a meal. The easiest sandwich in the world to make, we became a very efficient assembly line, spreading, cutting, stacking. And suddenly, finished. I couldn't resist a slice of bread thickly spread with only peanut butter. Never have been. Just remember not to run your fingers through your hair.

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Tomorrow, I'll be back there at about 11:30 AM. The guests will rush in, or amble in. Some are with friends, some are alone, and every year I recognize a grandfather and his two grandsons, all impecably well dressed, never so much as speaking. But eating well. I'll try to serve them tomorrow. I'd love to see one of those kids smile. You never know.