Five days into freedom after the lifting of Stay-At-Home-Down, Country Mart has upped their deli game. On Tuesday, they had TACO SALAD! That means a pile of fried shells that looked delicious. And some beef with peppers and onions, which I assumed to be a filling. Although the server listed, to the gal in my back pocket, poised upon my ample hippus, "...beans, tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, and cheese" as additional additives.
I took a container of the beef with peppers and onions, and made my own taco at home. It was delicious. Sadly, they did not have it on Thursday. So chicken strips had to suffice. They also had metal tubs of corn, mashed potatoes, brown gravy, green beans, macaroni/cheese, fried fish, General's-looking chicken pieces, BBQ pork steaks, and something I had not seen before: flat discs of fried matter.
"Are those potatoes?"
"I don't know. I don't cook it. I just serve it. Here. I'll let you try one. It might be potatoes. Or okra. Or fried pickles."
With that, the young man with clear plastic gloves grabbed one in his hand, and proffered it over the glass case to me. Seriously! What kind of person would refuse to take a fried treat from a proffering hand???
Of course, that meant stepping over the purple tape line that posted signs commanded me to stay behind. And taking food from a stranger's hand. But I HAD seen him put on the gloves when he came to the counter. Unlike some workers, this guy was really handsy. No tongs for him. Just his manuals, laboring.
I stepped across and took the treat. Didn't even have to speak or sit or pirouette on prancy legs to receive it. Hmm... that morsel was virtually tasteless. Not crispy. Not squishy. Just mediocre texture, with no taste.
"I don't know...does this look like okra, maybe?"
"I can't tell. I can dish you up a bag of it."
"No. Thanks. It would need to have more flavor for that. I think I'll pass."
Who knew that Country Mart gave SAMPLES? Although, from the taste of this one, it might be their only way to get rid of some items. Besides, who buys fried okra by the bag?
Something fried that's tasteless? How is that possible? I will eat just about anything fried, except for pickles. (No cukes or pickles from me in any form.) Just the yummy fried-ness makes fried things good. I've never had fried butter or fried Twinkies... but everything else is delicious.
ReplyDeleteAs a scientist, you should get a container of it and examine it, so we know what to avoid--friend-wise--since it's flavorless.
You should have saved a bit of it then sent it to Genius for testing so you knew what you ate. I agree with not buying any though, there's enough food out there so we don't need to eat tasteless stuff if we don't want to.
ReplyDeleteSioux,
ReplyDeleteYes, my mouth was quite disappointed with that tasteless morsel. It was expecting fried ambrosia. Farmer H used to get fried ice cream at a Chinese restaurant. He ate it like it was good.
***
River,
The Pony would be a better tester, with his chemistry knowledge. Genius, even if his techy knowledge could test it, would likely say, "Why are you sending ME this thing?" He's not one who joyfully assists his loving mother, though he sometimes will do so grudgingly, with a put-upon attitude.
Fried ice cream IS good. In fact, it's better than good. It's delicious. (The Chinese restaurant I used to get it from, they would bring the large scoop--already battered and fried) and would pour on a bit of liquor, flame it, and then squirt some chocolate syrup on it.
ReplyDeleteYum!
Sioux,
ReplyDeleteThat must be the DELUXE version! Farmer H was lucky to have fried batter and vanilla ice cream.
Ooops, I got your boys mixed up, sorry about that.
ReplyDelete@Sioux, I tried to fry butter once and it just melted so I put a chicken schnitzel into it and fried that instead.
(yes, I do know fried butter is supposed to be crumbed first)
River,
ReplyDeleteThat's okay! They each serve a purpose for my soul-sucking needs! That's what you'd think, they way they carry on about helping me with the least little thing!
Tonight I asked The Pony to send a link (that I'd just sent him) to Farmer H. He said, "I could, but that would take too much of my time that I'll never get back."
To which I replied, "Oh. Kind of like the 40 minutes I just spent making your supper, with the cleanup still to go?" Can you believe that didn't shame him into sending the link???