Category: Food

A Very Thanksgiving Treat

Published on by Sharron BurnettLeave a comment

elliott-pecansI always loved visiting my grandmother’s house in November. She was sure to have enamel bowls filled with tangerines and pecans. Usually it was just chilly enough to warrant using her ceramic gas heater to warm the living room. It always felt so cozy being there with my aunts and uncles and many cousins. I came to associate such things with the month of November. To this very day I have to have tangerines in my refrigerator and fresh pecans in my pantry when the eleventh month rolls around. It just doesn’t seem to feel right without them.

My Aunt Opal made pumpkin pie all year round but unless it was November we were never certain that she would have any available when we came to visit. Not so, in November. She never failed to have one ready for us whenever we chose to spend time with her then. Hers were absolutely the best that I have ever tasted. She didn’t even need a recipe to whip one up. The directions were all in her head. I used to love watching her roll out the pie dough and mix the ingredients for the filling. She always had some interesting story to tell us while her weathered hands did their work. I can still see her working the dough with her old rolling pin and stirring the creamy mixture that would gel into pure deliciousness. My mouth waters just thinking about it.

My mother liked to take the pecans that were so plentiful in November and bake them up into a pie. She transformed those nuts into a delectable southern delight. She was rather famous for her special recipe. I recall a time when she took one of her pies to a party and placed it next to a pecan pie that somebody else had prepared. When a friend of mine heard that one of Mama’s famous creations was there she rushed in to claim a piece before the dessert was gone. She took one bite and spit it back on the plate exclaiming, “This isn’t your mom’s pie! Where did this come from?” Luckily the baker of the less tasty treat wasn’t around to hear her insult but my mother had caught the gist of the conversation and quickly came to the rescue with a slice of her pie. From then on my friend always checked to be certain that she was getting nobody else’s pecan pie but Mama’s.

Yesterday after visiting with my in-laws my husband and I ventured over to the Airline farmer’s market. We were greeted by the sound of the nut cracking machine that was busy opening pounds and pounds of fresh pecans. It is a sound that I have heard each November for as long as I can remember. It tells me that my birthday is coming soon and that Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Its click clack is so comforting. It is much like hearing a train rumbling down the tracks in the dark of night. It is a link to some of the most wondrous times in my past.

While at the market I also saw a huge display of tangerines. I rushed over immediately to fill a bag. The aroma of citrus filled my senses and told me that I will be enjoying juicy fruit in the coming days. I feel content in knowing that I am able to find such delightful items so close to my home.

We really do live in a land of plenty. I had a friend who grew up in Germany at the same time that I was experiencing a childhood in the United States. He often spoke of playing in the rubble of his city of Bremen which had been bombed continuously during World War II. He developed scurvy because of the lack of vitamin C. For most of his lifetime fruits and vegetables were a luxury. He told of a time when an aunt had a single tomato to share with the family and how it was prized as a precious delicacy. Each person took a thin slice and ate it as though it was pure gold. When he eventually moved to the United States he was astounded by the abundance that we all enjoyed. He never lost his appreciation for our country and the wealth that it provided him.

My mother always told me that her parents saw themselves as being rich simply because they always had good food on the table. They turned their backyard into a garden and raised animals for milk and meat. Even during the Great Depression they always had good meals created by my grandmother. Nothing was ever wasted. Even bones and peelings were boiled for broth for soups and seasonings. When the family ate fish my grandmother would consume the head and give the more savory parts to her children.

We sometimes forget how precious food was for our ancestors and rarely think about people in other parts of the world who are starving even as we fill garbage trucks with mountains of food that might otherwise save a life. We take our food for granted and rarely realize our good fortune in having a lovely orange or a bowl of nuts. We don’t want to think about small children with bloated bellies who are wracked with pain because they do not have enough sustenance. Thanksgiving simply doesn’t have the same meaning when we have never known want as it might feel like to truly experience grinding hunger.

In November I am thankful that my mother like her mother always found a way to keep our stomachs full. Sometimes our dinner was little more than a bowl of pinto beans but there was something on our table to sustain us even when our cupboard seemed to be bare. I often took egg sandwiches to school for lunch. At the time it embarrassed me because there were often complaints about the smell. Sometimes I chose not to eat rather than reveal my strange repast. I now think of how silly I was, especially when I consider the millions of people who would have thought themselves most fortunate to have something so tasty and wholesome to eat. In so many ways I have been spoiled.

It is in the small things that we feel the most delight. For me the tangerines, pecans and pumpkins that were the treats of my childhood Novembers are still a special treasure. When I eat them they are more than just tasty. They are ways of tangibly remembering some of the most happy times of my childhood and the special people who made it so. I can see my grandmother’s smile as she watches me enjoy a tangerine with the juice running down my chin as I laugh with my cousins. I can hear my Aunt Opal telling us wondrous tales as she shoves a pumpkin pie into the oven. I recall my mother whispering her secret recipe for making the best pecan pies. The taste of the food on my tongue jogs my memory and releases happy feelings that tell me just how wonderful my life has always been. It really is a great time of year to be thankful as I remember and appreciate.

Realize

Published on by Sharron BurnettLeave a comment

dna_6339076_lrgThe history of mankind is the instant between two strides taken by a traveler. — Franz Kafka

There is great diversity among the people who live on this planet. Each of us is a unique blend of nature and nurture. We are born with a pattern of DNA inside our bodies that identifies us and holds the history of our ancestors. Ironically the genetic differences between one human being and another are miniscule. On the whole we are more alike in basic composition than we are different. All of us are members of the humanoid species known as homo sapiens, a Latin phrase meaning “wise human.” Our kind evolved over hundreds of thousands of years. Other humanoid types did not survive but remarkably we did, overcoming monumental challenges as we traveled from eastern Africa to all parts of the known world.

Modern man often follows the money but our ancestors set out on the original journeys in search of food. Unlike the prey for which they searched homo sapiens stood upright, had a larger brain, and created tools that allowed them to overcome animals that were faster and stronger. Early humans worked together and created societies that moved together, protecting one another from dangers but also communicating with stories and flights of imagination. They not only made useful implements but also invented musical instruments and made images that resembled the animals that they tracked. They explored the world both on foot and inside their minds.

Even as other humanoid species became extinct homo sapiens found ways to grow and prosper as the dominant force on our planet. They imprinted their wills and their creativity on themselves and on the earth. They celebrated the relentless changing of the seasons with rituals and customs that they developed and followed from one generation to the next. They created systems for maintaining their very existence and sidelining the darker sides of their natures. There were geniuses among them who learned how to read the workings of the heavens and to invent better and better tools for survival and comfort.

Today we live in a world so remarkable that none of our earliest ancestors would recognize us as being one of them and yet our DNA tells us that we are indeed mostly the same. We continue to evolve and learn more about our world, our universe and ourselves. There are people so creative that they boggle even our modern minds and yet they are our brothers and sisters, with essentially the identical chemical composition and genetic codes that we possess. Even people in remote and far flung parts of the world operate from similar human habits. The shades of our skin vary according to the adaptations that our ancestors needed to survive in different latitudes. The ways that we eat and the recipes that we use are based on the food sources available to us. Those who came before us were a flexible and ingenious lot who adjusted to the environments in which they found themselves. Our numbers today tell us that most of them made it to live another day and devise better and better ways to do more than simply exist. Time and again mankind has realized the potential that lies within each of us.

While individual accomplishments have literally changed the world, it is in our willingness to live as a community of people that our true greatness is realized. The physicist Stephen Hawking is celebrated for his remarkable intellect but were it not for the contributions of his fellow man he no doubt might have died long before he was able to pronounce his theories of the universe. He is able to “speak” to us in spite of the horrible disease that took his ability to move or talk. Others have provided him with the support and the tools that he needs to continue his work and his conversations with the scientific community. When reveling in his genius we often forget the group effort that has made his survival possible.

Each day there are literally thousands upon thousands of nameless individuals who make our lives what they are. We take our conveniences for granted until a natural disaster or a war causes the systems that we have contrived to break down. When the normalcy of our world falls apart we begin to realize just how greatly we depend on one another and yet somehow even as we create comforts that allow us more and more freedom to develop ourselves we all too often separate ourselves into artificial groups. We identify ourselves based on the color of our skin, our political leanings, our incomes, our levels of education, our sexual orientations, our male or female chromosomes, our religions or lack thereof, our countries, our states, our cities, our zip codes. We become members of certain groups and view those outside of our own parameters with suspicion. We forget that it has always been our ability to work together in a spirit of community that has insured the very survival of our species.

If it were possible for each of us to track our ancestry all the way back to the beginnings of mankind’s time here on earth we would learn that we are all cousins descended from the same people who long ago stood up and began a journey that would ultimately span the globe. Perhaps one day we will realize that our bickering is rivalry among siblings and we will learn how to understand and cooperate in a spirit without judgement or evil intent. Surely if we are able to view inside the very essence of our bodies we will one day realize the ultimate potential of our hearts and minds. 

We Are the Engine of Commerce

Published on by Sharron BurnettLeave a comment

happy-customerLast week my husband and I decided to try a local Pollo Tropical for lunch. We had heard from several people that the menu in this fast food chain was exceptionally good. Sadly we never had even a taste of their wares. Instead, we entered the restaurant and almost instantly left before moving past the door. The sight that greeted us was disgusting beyond measure. Dirty dishes and trash were piled high on several of the tables. The floor was littered with trash and crumbs. In other words the place was filthy and nobody appeared to be making any sort of effort to rectify the situation. We both agreed that we were not going to spend our money on food that came from such a disgusting place. We wondered how the kitchen in the back might look if the most visible section of the eatery was in such a state of disarray. Our imaginations painted a dismal picture.

I am admittedly a cleanliness freak. I will lose my appetite in a millisecond if I find a hair in my food or a roach skitters across the floor. I am literally unable to eat in an unsanitary environment. I want to be assured that the people in charge are at least making an effort to keep things as pristine as possible. I like going to the Five Guys burger chain because I can clearly see the folks preparing the food. They wear gloves and somehow manage to keep the area looking pristine while still quickly providing me with a custom designed meal. I will pay extra to go somewhere that has high standards but will drop a place in a New York minute if I see evidence of dirt and grime and I don’t mind informing the management of eateries that their hygiene is unsatisfactory. If they do something to improve I am always willing to try them again but if they ignore my comments then they are quite literally dead to me.

I realize that the employees of most fast food restaurants work for extremely low wages but I do not believe that this fact gives them the excuse to neglect their duties. I used to enjoy dining at a Panera Bread in Pasadena because a young man with disabilities was in charge of cleaning the tables and the floor there. He took great pride in his work and everything was so clean that it sparkled. He was in constant motion around the room picking up stray pieces of paper and reaching under furniture to sweep up even the tiniest crumb. He did so with a big smile on his face and never failed to greet each of the guests as they arrived and wave goodbye as they left. Little wonder that the place was always packed. Their secret weapon was not so much the food as this exceptional young man who was so dedicated to his job.

Those who manage businesses in the service industry sometimes forget that everything that they and their employees do or don’t do contributes to the success or failure of the enterprise. Most people have limited funds and when they choose to spend their hard earned money somewhere they expect to get a good product. Restaurants not only must provide tasty food but need to do so in an atmosphere that inspires confidence that sanitary health standards are continually in place. I simply cannot understand how routines become so lax that nobody appears to be minding the store.

My husband isn’t as concerned about messiness as I am. His pet peeve is being virtually ignored by clerks who are busier discussing working conditions with fellow employees than paying attention to him as he makes purchases. He spent a great deal of his career in the retail banking business and his forte was making customers happy. He insisted on certain standards of behavior from his employees. He strove to keep lines short and interactions happy. He was generally beloved to the people who entrusted their money to him. He carefully chose and trained his workers and began by being respectful to them so that they in turn might be courteous to the people they served.

Unfortunately there are far too many times when clerical people give the impression that they wish that we would just go away and leave them to their conversations. They are surly and inattentive. They behave as though they would rather being doing anything but helping us to make a purchase. Their attitudes do little to encourage us to return in the future. There are too many alternative places that offer the same products but do so with helpful employees for any of us to accept unsatisfactory customer service.

So many stores now offer discounts with coupons. Sometimes its difficult to keep up with all of the paper and other times I don’t even know that it is even available. When I shop in a store where the salesclerk actually helps me to get the best possible deal you can bet that I take note and return again and again. I’ve had delightful people show me where to find the discounts online. Others have split the transaction into multiples in order to provide me with the most savings. I laugh when one of them winks and pulls a coupon from under the counter to help me out. The employees who take the time to go out of their way to be certain that I ultimately get the best possible product for the lowest price are true sales people. They fully understand that it takes effort to keep customers and they are willing to do whatever is needed to make me happy.

We live in a dog eat dog world. To stand out from the ordinary most retail establishments whether they be offering food or goods or services have to be just a bit better than their competition. It takes more than the ordinary to get people to stand in line for barbecue in the Texas heat but there are people who have accomplished that. I watch businesses founder while others thrive. The difference between success and failure almost always can be found in the attitudes of the staff. If they project a caring spirit and a sense of pride in being excellent the customers will invariably notice and reward them with their loyalty. It isn’t that difficult to keep the tables clean in a restaurant or to pay attention to someone who is making a major purchase but those little nuances often go undone even though they really do matter.

They say one unsatisfied customer will ultimately result in the loss of many more. All of us talk with each other. Word spreads like wildfire. I know that I have already mentioned my unfortunate experience with Pollo Tropical to a number of folks. If they tell the people that they know a mini boycott will begin to form. It doesn’t take too many such chain reactions for a business to take a dive. At the same time, a favorable experience leads to word of mouth recommendations that spur growth.

I have learned that most businesses appreciate our comments and generally will attempt to do better if we take the time to alert them to problems. We should also commend the people who provide us with pleasant experiences. Just as those in the service industry should never take us for granted we too have a certain responsibility to keep management informed. We are the engine that drives commerce and we have the power to keep it running smoothly.

Things That Make Me Smile

Published on by Sharron BurnettLeave a comment

smiley-face-symbols-detlev-van-ravenswaayI’ve got a goofy smile. One eye squints almost shut and my mouth is crooked. I resemble a gnome when I’m happy but but I still love any occasion that turns up the corners of my mouth. This month I’ve had a number of such times and all of them have involved people. The truth is that no amount of money nor fame is better than knowing that there are people who really care about me and that I in turn love. I’ve been lucky enough to see many of them of late and all of them make me beam with unadulterated joy.

I try to get together with a group of friends from my last job as often as possible. Most of them are still working so it’s not easy to find a date when we are all free but luckily we did so not long ago. We met up at Ninfa’s on Navigation which, on a side note, I highly recommend. As is always the case we laughed and chattered and felt so very relaxed with one another. A plus was the fact that the food was also great. Someone remarked that most of us were English majors in college. I don’t know if that has anything to do with how well we get along but it’s amazing how in sync we always seem to be. We’ve agreed to meet again before school starts so that we might compare stories about the trips that each of us will be taking during these warm months. I have no doubt that we will once again talk and grin until we get dirty looks from the waiters hoping that we get the hint and move on.

A certain graduation brought a huge smile to my face recently. It was for a young man whom I had tutored for three years. He had worked quite hard to earn his diploma and I knew as well as anyone how much the occasion meant to him. I felt as though I was floating through the air when he walked across the stage. It was as grand a day as I have experienced in a long time. My face must have shown my elation as the corners of my mouth almost touched my ears.

My grandson is home from college for the summer. I only got to see him a couple of times during the school year. He attends Purdue University and has a schedule as busy as the President of the United States. It was so good to finally meet up with him at Bob’s Taco Station if only for an hour or so. I marveled at how much he has matured in only one short year. He is definitely a man now. Not a shred of boyishness seems to remain in his demeanor. A smile of pride and of course lots of love lit up my face the whole time that we were together.

I had the privilege of serving as a chaperone for my godson and his brother while their mother attended a conference a couple of weeks ago. We all flew together to Boston and while she worked, we played. Boy was it fun! I suspect that I was even smiling in my sleep. We saw so many wondrous things but best of all we got to know each other even better. It was a very special time in which we laughed and told silly stories and just felt as comfortable as can be. I can’t wait until I am needed for another trip one day. We built some important memories together which will no doubt always bring brightness to my face whenever I recall them.

My second oldest grandson is going to be a senior in high school next year. He is in the process of visiting colleges and so Mike and I took him to Texas A&M University a week ago. We had a grand time touring the recreation center, the dorms and many of the engineering buildings. I have a particular love for the Aggies because my father was one. Every time I visit the campus I feel his spirit. I know that he will be quite proud if his great grandson decides to get his education there. I smiled quite a bit at the thought of having another Aggie in the family, especially the one who just happens to be named after my dad. When my grandson admitted that he would be quite excited to go there I suspect that my grin was so big that I resembled a Cheshire cat. It was fun to be able to share this important moment with him.

Last Saturday I invited several of my former students to a party at my house. I wanted to celebrate their graduations from college. It was rewarding to hear how wonderfully they are all doing. I want to believe that I may have had at least a tiny bit of influence on them. I know that they bring me incalculable happiness. Knowing that they have already accomplished so much makes my teaching years seem all the more fruitful. I smiled and smiled and smiled as they spoke of their successes and their dreams. I hope that my expression told them how much I love them.

On Father’s Day I made dinner for Mike and his dad. We had an incredible time just as we always do. They are the two most important men in my life. Both of them watch over me and would probably walk through fire for me. Just being with them is reason enough to smile. We have a long history of sharing happiness and sorrow. I burst into a visage of elation when I think of how lucky I have been to be with the two of them. They make me feel so beautiful and important that I fairly beam.

I just spent the past week in a trailer built for two with my daughter and her three children. Stuffing the six of us inside reminded me of a circus act when dozens of clowns go inside a tiny car. For a time the refrigerator didn’t work and all of us were almost eaten alive by chiggers but somehow we muddled through. Nothing could have kept me from beaming from ear to ear. Just being together was all that I needed to feel elated. We went to see movies on a workday afternoon and ate delicious hamburgers and fries from Hopdoddy. We walked through museums filled with scientific wonders and history. In the evenings I watched the children swim at McKInney Falls. They were so delighted as they jumped into the cooling waters. Our time together was a blast and we hardly noticed that we were stuffed inside our home on wheels like sardines.

While we were camping in Austin one of my cousins invited us to visit with her and her family. They treated us to a gourmet dinner that included a taste test of seven different yummy desserts. The kids had great fun playing with Legos and making music while we adults enjoyed sharing stories about our ancestors. There were happy faces all around.

These are the things that make me smile. Right now I’m feeling quite content as I gaze on the flowers in my yard and watch the birds playing in the trees. It’s summertime and the whole world is seems to be alive. Best of all my adventures have only just begun. We’ll be celebrating my mother’s birthday on Monday and in about a week we will head for California. There are so many reasons to be elated that I suspect I am wearing a smile even now.

Dieting In Culinary Heaven

Published on by Sharron BurnettLeave a comment

fatteningfoods1Houston is a foodie town. Our city ranks high in the culinary world with incredible choices of taste tempting dishes available in virtually every corner of our sprawling metropolis. Little wonder that H town is also home to the most overweight people in the country. Balancing Houstonians’ love of food with healthy lifestyles is no easy task. Keeping a slim waistline while still enjoying the cuisine that Houston chefs offer requires vigilance and dedication and sometimes time and money as well. With yummy treats tempting us everywhere that we turn, being on a diet can sometimes feel punishing.

Mike and I have both been consciously watching what we eat since January. When the new year came I quit purchasing any kind of bread products. We used to enjoy visiting the bakery at the HEB Central Market but now we rush through that section of the store lest we be tempted by the lovely creations tempting us to fall off of the wagon. So far we have managed to keep the offending products out of our home.

Our prohibition extends to rice, potatoes and all forms of pasta as well. We used to love having spaghetti with Italian sausage but now we have to be content with spiraled Italian squash instead. We frequent Sprouts and farmers markets in search of the fresh vegetables and fruits that have become our mainstay. We carefully measure calories and carbohydrates, reading nutrition labels before putting anything into our mouths. On those rare occasions when we decide to spend a night out at a restaurant we save up calories and opt for the least offensive menu items. Mostly though it’s easier to just stay home and enjoy the steamed broccoli and kale salad that we have taught ourselves to like.

I had been taking two or three mile long walks virtually everyday but the heat and the current monsoon season has kept me indoors of late. I’m back to using the treadmill which has to be the most boring form of exercise ever invented. I’ve tried listening to music, talking on the phone and reading to pass the time but I still find myself wondering how it is possible for a minute to feel like an hour. My treadmill sessions afford me proof of Einstein’s theory of relativity.  That moving sidewalk takes me nowhere but to the land of frustration. 

Parties are the hardest for me. People go to so much trouble to create such lovely dishes and desserts and I feel like Scrooge or the Grinch when I walk past the recipes that they have worked so hard to make. I fill my plate with the raw carrots and celery from the vegetable tray and eat hamburgers without the buns. I restrict myself to one slice of pizza knowing that even that tiny splurge is going to send my weight back up once again. It is a never ending battle to stay within the guidelines, especially since my results have been less than stellar.

I suppose that I am losing weight the way it is supposed to be done. I go down about half of a pound a week. If I eat at a restaurant or dine at someone’s home I tend to either gain a tiny bit or flatline. Still, overall I am moving in the right direction and find that I can wear clothing that is one size smaller than most of what is in my closet. I also admittedly feel much better but sometimes I long to give in to my cravings and scarf down a Snicker’s bar or a warm cinnamon roll.

I once took a creative movement class at the University of Houston to satisfy the physical education requirement. It proved to be one of my favorite classes. The professor who had a full bird PhD encouraged us to develop both our bodies and our minds. He pointed out that we humans tend to lean one way or another, with some of us emphasizing brainy activities and others favoring sports and exercise. He argued that to be well rounded humans need both.

The trouble that I find with his thinking is that there don’t seem to be enough hours in the day for all of the things that we should do. Eating healthy meals takes planning. Exercising involves more than just the thirty minutes or hour of actual involvement. Often it requires driving to a particular locale with showering and grooming in addition. Today’s jobs are more demanding than ever and few people actually spend only eight hours at work. Our families and friends need our attention as well. If we attempt to get the recommended amount of sleep on top of all of our other responsibilities we begin to realize that we are running out of time to accomplish all our goals.

I know people who do in fact get everything done. They are generally on a schedule that is so strict that they have little time for daydreaming or goofing off. Their lives are highly regimented. For a natural born gypsy like me being a slave to the clock and a routine is quite difficult. Sometimes I find myself wanting to call in sick to my self imposed schedule. I want to just wander wherever my instincts lead me even if that means driving through Shipley’s donuts and blowing the diet for the day.

I suppose that the whole idea of being careful with what I eat is especially hard for me because until I was almost fifty I was literally able to enjoy any kind of food without it negatively affecting me. I stayed slim and trim with no effort. I had little understanding of what it means to gain weight just by looking at photographs of food. I had the gift of a super metabolism that converted all of the bad things that I ate into energy rather than fat. The first time I saw a muffin top appear around my waist I was shocked. I fooled myself into thinking that my weight gain was temporary as I watched the scale register ever higher numbers. Now I am attempting to slowly eliminate the offending pounds and realizing the cost of all of that grazing that I did for most of my life.

I don’t want to go back to my bad habits because I have worked too hard for the last five months to just give up on my quest. I’m learning what works for me and what doesn’t. I’ve found that it is possible to enjoy myself when I go out with friends and family as long as I am careful. I share bread pudding rather than devouring the entire piece myself. I take home half of my order of chicken marsala. I order cups of gumbo rather than bowls. I don’t totally deny myself nor do I overindulge. I am gradually reeducating myself on the value of good nutrition. I have also developed a genuine sympathy for those who must carefully watch what they eat.

We are a land of culinary plenty and my city is at the center of the food universe. I have to admit to being envious of anyone who is capable of eating without boundaries just as I once was. It was nice to have no limits and still look and feel great. Now I am just like most people and I have belatedly had to learn how to curb my appetite. It’s a worthy cause. My health has already improved and so has Mike’s. We haven’t quite yet learned how to avoid the toxic foods but we are getting there. Wish us luck. Ours is a crusade that must be victorious.