Page 49 - Diane Musgrove Issue

Foods I Love to Eat

by C. F. Illingworth

ALERT: this article comes with prepare a special French toast breakfast, lunch and dinner. I pany would produce a bock
a culinary warning. Dieters that I could never refuse. He prefer the hard-shelled ver- beer. As soon as the distri-
must be aware of the possible cut the crust off and then sion. bution of the bock beer was
diet consequences before con- soaked the bread in an egg Eight years later I married announced, just about ev-
tinuing with my commentary batter, which he would fry in my wife, whose mother was eryone in Chippewa County
about the following food nar- butter. Jack drizzled maple an extraordinary cook. Her would go to the store to get
ratives resulting in possible syrup from my uncle’s farm family was German, and she their fair share. No one would
overindulgence. This is your all over my toast. He would made an incredible German ever buy just a six pack; but
first and final warning. sometimes make breakfast schnitzel that was absolute- instead, would leave the store
I grew up in a seafood en- with scrambled eggs and sau- ly delicious. She also made with one or two cases. After
vironment in Portland Maine. sages. He would then pour a exquisite Swedish meatballs two to three weeks, all of the
My grandmother and my special spiced sauce over the that were spicy with a thick, Leinenkugel bock beer was
step-grandfather owned a eggs. creamy sauce. I think that’s gone from the stores.
boardinghouse near the Port- My Uncle Harry owned a when I started to put a few Does anyone like Ice
land docks. My grandmother, farm with a maple sugar bush. pounds around my middle. cream? Of course you do. Ev-
being the most wonderful They weren’t really bushes, Not long after our kids eryone has their favorite fla-
cook in the state, had a huge but rather maple trees. Some- entered school, our culinary vor of this exquisite dessert.
influence on my young gas- times we would go to visit tastes became more interest- My preferred flavor is ---- ALL
tronomic life. Oh, and I should him during sugaring off sea- ing. We discovered a takeout OF THEM, except mint and
mention that my step-grand- son. The maple sap would be restaurant specializing in chip, which is my wife’s favor-
father was a French Canadian boiled down and made into British-style fish and chips. It ite ice cream.
who loved to cook as well. syrup and maple candy. A was called H. Salt Esq. Fish & I can’t end this article
Because of the proximity to special treat for me was when Chips. I particularly remem- without mentioning the sec-
the Atlantic Ocean and the I would make a ball of snow ber the flavor of the ketchup ond most popular fast food
Portland fishing community, I and pour some syrup on it. that the restaurant supplied. in America - PIZZA. You would
was exposed to a menagerie When I was older, I vis- It brought back memories think that Italy would have
of Atlantic seafood. ited a friend’s house where of my dad’s mom who was the best pizza in the world.
After I was weaned off my his mom served Portuguese English. She put together No, absolutely not. My wife
milk bottle, I was introduced French toast. I thought it was a wonderful fish and chips and I visited Rome and or-
to boiled lobster. This was pretty good. Her toast was banquet on Friday evenings. dered a pizza. What we got
served with melted butter crisp and crunchy with the In England, French fries are re- was flat dough with very sim-
along with coleslaw and corn texture of a churro. Another ferred to as chips. A little note ple toppings, like thin tomato
on the cob, followed with lots family breakfast favorite of about ketchup; some peo- sauce and mozzarella. These
more butter. In the spring mine is buttered toast spread ple believe that ketchup is a are the basics from which
there was always fiddlehead with English marmalade, perfect food, and as a matter we, in America, build a pizza.
greens with, of course, lots of which is a salty, sour, and of fact, President Regan said, America has perfected the
butter. tangy spread. “condiments like pickle relish pizza and made it a national
There were clams galore; One of my uncles married and ketchup were vegeta- takeout food. Did you know
fried clams, steamed clams a Penobscot Native American bles.” I couldn’t agree more. that in 2022 approximately
and baked clams to devour Indian who made a scrump- A few years after we were 89.2 million pizzas were eat-
with butter. I also enjoyed tious pasta dish that she said married, our family spent en every day in the US? That
a bounty of scallops and was passed down from her some time in Wisconsin. Now, would equal 100 acres of piz-
shrimp, which were served mother. My uncle was too that is a whole different world za. When my kids were grow-
with, of course, lots of butter. embarrassed to tell her that of cuisine. You have not lived ing up, we would take the
This was in addition to vir- her family dish was actually until you have eaten a bag of family to a pizza place near us
tually every kind of fish that lasagna. We didn’t care, it was cheese curds. I think it’s a state where we watched black and
the Atlantic had to offer. A our family secret. food. Also, I developed an ap- white silent films and enjoyed
small note here: fried clams When I turned 13 years preciation for bratwursts and our American/Italian pizza.
were scooped out of the shell, old our family moved to Cal- polish sausage, the meat of My children still remember
battered and deep fried with ifornia, where we encoun- the Wisconsin gods. I also those pizza outings.
guts and all. It was an ac- tered a delightful new treat must not forget the exquisite I hope you enjoyed this
quired taste. My sister was not called a TACO. Oh yes, the beer that had to be drunk foodie trip with me. Shake-
about to eat anything that still ever versatile taco made with during every barbecue while speare once wrote: “eat, drink
contained entrails. a tortilla stuffed with chunks in Wisconsin. The Leinenku- and be merry, for tomorrow
My step-granddad, Jack, of beef, guacamole, salsa, on- gel Brewing Company was we may die.” Probably from
enjoyed cooking truly French ions and spiced with cilantro. just eight miles from our overeating!
meals for me as well. He would We enjoyed eating them with place. Every spring the com-

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