Some news and a question…..
First: the news.
We had a traumatic morning chez nous.
Emma, the big dog, who just celebrated her 10th birthday (She’s a Christmas puppy) hasn’t been feeling 100 percent.
She’s been snoring more than usual the last few days, not eating well and coughing. I decided this morning that I would take her to the vet.
Our vet sees the important animals (cows, horses) in the morning and has open office hours for small animals after 2pm.
Mid-morning, Emma walked into the hall (where my desk is) coughed a few times, then pitched forward onto her chin.
I’ve seen cartoon animals do that but never a real, live animal.
She just dove forward, and didn’t move.
I was sure she’d had a massive heart attack and died.
She hadn’t.
But she wouldn’t move.
We called the vet’s office, and we’re told he could come by late in the afternoon, but to try and bring her in after lunch.
Well…. We weren’t going to be lifting her into the car… Her svelte self tops the scales at 160 lbs (73 kilos)
I spent the rest of the morning, watching her breath, giving her a comforting pat and letting her sleep.
When it was time, she got up and managed to get in the car.
She has a fever and a lung infection. Apparently, at her advanced age, she no longer can easily fight off infections. He gave her several (big) shots and a course of pills to take.
She just managed to help mon mari to eat a bit of salami – I think (and hope) she’s on the mend.
We’ve been so worried about the other dog failing…. and now this. Time is short.
But chocolates help (me, not the dogs).
Before Christmas, Jamie, of Life’s a Feast had a chocolate giveaway.
I won.
Then the holidays happened….
The chocolates arrived, finally, last week.
They were worth the weight wait.
Yes, there is one missing before the photo – what, you think I’m patient?
That’s two large boxes of chocolates within two days.
The ‘other‘ box of chocolates is safely tucked away for another day. One must have some self-control (mustn’t one? Or not?)
Now: The question.
Everyone seems to be asking what your favorite food is.
I always like to dig a little deeper, to the dark side, as it were….
What do you love to eat that you would not serve to guests, or, at the very least, would not serve without prior approval?
For us, it’s easy… We love….
Liver and Onions
12oz (350gr) thinly sliced veal liver
6 strips of bacon
2 large onions, thickly sliced
1/4 cup flour
In a large skillet, fry bacon until crisp. Remove.
Add onions and fry until nicely browned. Remove.
Coat liver with flour and add to skillet, quickly browning on both sides. When brown, mound the onions and bacon on top, and cover and heat through, about 5 minutes. Serve.
Simple, old-fashioned, delicious.
But here is the real reason we wouldn’t serve this to the unexpecting…..
We always have it with rutabagas.
also with bacon…..
Rutabagas with Bacon and Onion
2 slices bacon, (1.5oz, 45gr)
1/2 medium onion
1 rutabaga
1 tbs butter
1 tbs sherry (not cooking – the real stuff – never cook with anything you wouldn’t drink)
Peel rutabaga (with a vegetable peeler – like a potato) and cut into pieces about 1/2″ X 1/4″ – you will need a big knife; it’s rather hard. Roughly chop bacon and sauté in a medium sauce pan. When crisp remove and drain all but 1 tbs fat. Add onion and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add rutabaga, 1/2 cup water and bacon. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer 15 – 20 minutes.
Test for doneness – taste, should be like a cooked potato. When done, drain any remaining liquid, stir in butter, sherry and serve.
So….
Come on – Share!
What do you secretly love that may not be gourmet or healthy or fashionable or whatever….
Well, if you served the liver to me, I’d be your best friend. I love liver but oddly, I never cook it for myself. Must remedy this soon.
Hope Emma feels better very soon.
Okay…it was something we grew up on. Something most people can’t stand…something most people including my DH look at with utter disgust! Canned Sardines in tomato sauce, with a dollop of mayonnaise, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice – served with crackers. I guess it is an acquired taste – most people I know think they are revolting, but I love em!
Like you, we love liver and onions, so that’s not it. Most people make a face when I suggest smoked oysters – a guilty pleasure – or sardines. I have confessed on my blog to loving bologna sandwiches on gooshy white bread with mayo and iceberg lettuce, so my most embarrassing fave is already out there for the world to judge. 🙂
Ooops! Best to Emma – I hope she recovers quickly and is soon bouncing around again.
I LOVE liver anad onions but down deep South we always ate it with grits. DELICIOUS!
Sending compass energy for your dog.
Probably seafood. Believe it or not, there are many people in northern Wisconsin who fear seafood.
I could never figure out why.
Emma is a gorgeous big girl; here’s hoping she gets better! Our big dog was only 120lbs (54.5kg). It’s also liver and onions for me. I’m not only not allowed to cook liver for guests; I’m also not allowed to cook it in the house. This goes back to our time in a high-rise apartment in Honolulu; The Event is now known as Der Lebervorfall. But really, it was just cooking a beef liver slice in a 700sq foot (90 Quadratmeter?) apartment. The smell lingered for days, attracting cats and curious neighbors.
There is also tripe in menudo, but it’s much cheaper and simpler to take a bucket to a nearby Mexican restaurant and bring a gallon home.
Hope your doggy will be on the mend soon. Poor baby!
As for your question, there are probably similar American stand-by dishes that would fall in that category for us, but liver and onions is a good choice. Actually, everyone in our family loves them — which reminds me, I haven’t made liver in ages!
Now, 3 things – I hope darling Emma is doing OK, I cannot believe you won all that chocolate and I am green with envy and now to answer that question – well I could not myself ever eat liver and onions, so the best thing I can come up with is cereal for dinner. We eat a boring diet here at manningroad that includes very little meat and lots of oats and lots of salad and sometimes cereal with fruit is our dinner if we are very tired. No guest would really want to drop by and face that for dinner I am sure and it is really something we just do “en famille”.
Peanut butter and mayonnaise sandwiches are one of my favorites. But I wouldn’t try and serve one to a guest 🙂
Oh my god that must have been traumatic! I ‘m glad everything turned out okay (hopefully!). And chocolates definitely help. Definitely.
I love the looks of that rutabaga! I don’t cook with it enough.
So happy to hear that Emma is better. Pray she’ll continue to improve.
We used to serve liver to our kids when they were little and tell them it was steak. They loved it, and still do. Funny, on my first date with my wife she ordered liver & onions. “I can never get it at home.” was her explanation.
But the one thing we rarely have but really all enjoy is beef tongue. Sliced thin with a mayo/mustard sauce that is a really good imitation of Durkee’s Famous Sauce (remember that?). Luckily I can still find tongue at the Hispanic grocery.
And then there’s sweetbreads. My mother used to make them creamed on toast. Decadent!
Rutabagas (swedes). I live in an area originally populated by Swedes, and the town in fact has an annual festival devoted to all things Swedish. Imagine my surprise when I found that Walmart sells rutabaga seedlings in the spring. They’re nestled right in there with my kale & collards, and the leaves are similar to collards. Woot!
Being English, I’m deeply attached to baked beans on toast and to banana sandwiches. Two things which make Americans laugh.
Hope Emma continues to improve. It must have been very alarming when she collapsed.
I hope that she is on the mend – it is so scary to see a pet fall ill right in front of you. I had a similar experience with one of our cats and it was AWFUL. Fingers crossed that the meds work.
Oddly enough lamb in any form. I grew up eating it but I have encountered a great many people who have not only never had it but never want to.
So happy to hear the pooch is on the mend. Give her a hug and a dog biscuit from me.
You posed an interesting question. I am not fond of liver (well, except for foie gras or if other types of liver are mixed into a rich pate), so that would be off the list. I’m with Karen that I would hesitate to serve lamb. I love it, but people are weird about it.
I don’t know how I’d feel about liver and onions–I’d try it, but I can’t guarantee I’d like it. However, I’d be a happy camper with rutabega and bacon… and I’ve never even tried rutabaga!
Hope the pooch feels better soon…
Jean, I don’t make it enough, either… and we love it (obviously)
Ina, I love sardines, both tomato and mustard sauce… no may, tho.
Zoomie, that reminds me, I used to love a similar sandwich – with Spam instead of the bologna… Loved Spam sandwiches! Emma’s not improving much, still worried….
Judith, and up north grit(s) was what you put on icy roads LOL
Mimi, my mother wouldn’t touch a shrimp for anything – says they look like grub worms….
TikiPundit, that reminds me of our friend in Spain… When he cooks Indian food the whole village reeks! Emma’s still not doing well….
Betty, it’s so surprising, that all of us liver lovers rarely make it! Must be an image problem LOL
manningroad, mon mari is a die-hard full meal guy. If we are really busy – like after class on Monday nights, he’ll eat an omelet – as long as there are fried potatoes and bacon or ham with it.
Meredith, you’re the second person I know that likes PB & M sandwiches…. I’m going to have to try that… (Maybe just on a finger first **grin**)
Joanne, we’re still hoping for poor Emma. Might have to do another vet visit. Rutabagas are good food!
brassfrog – remember Archie Bunker? Edith served him tongue and he said, “I ain’t eating nothing that came out of a cow’s mouth! Just fix me a couple of eggs.” Never had tongue. The only offal we had growing up was liver. I think you have to be exposed to some of this food young 😉
Kerry, ah, yes, beans on toast. Americans eat banana and peanut buter sandwiches (not me, tho)
JDeQ, it was very scary – and we humans are so helpless. Poor pets can’t tell us anything. She’s holding her own but I’d like to see some improvement.
karen, I’m the only one in my family that will eat lamb. The rest wouldn’t touch it!
Rachel, we hope she is. Here in France there’s not much that people won’t eat… but I know a lot of Americans that won’t eat it.
Katie, that rutabega dish looks just YUM! My husband won’t touch it, so I’ll have to make it just for me. 🙂
Laurie, than you get to eat it all!