Food Meme

Sinda tagged me for this meme long ago, and I actually have been looking forward to completing it (not avoiding it!), but you know, life gets in the way.

Basically, starting with each letter in your blog's name or your posting name, write about a food item with meaning to you.

V - has to be vino. Almost anything red, a few choice whites, no pink stuff (except maybe bubbly pinot noir). It is magic - take the concentrated pruned fruit from the best old vines, ferment the sugar into alcohol, age in oak, bottled and sent to your table...mmmm.

E - eggs. From chickens that get to run around, scratch in the dirt, and eat bugs and turn them into delicious, easily digested protein. I love them soft-boiled, with that rich orange runny yolk.

T - tomatoes, aka pomodori. Even Anthony, who is no tomato lover, can appreciate a homegrown heirloom, particularly when paired with good mozzarella, olive oil, and basil. (He's also partial to my salsa and my simplice pomodoro salsa.) All I need is a little salt. Once as a kid I remember we were visiting in Dallas, and all of the sudden my mom pulls over. She saw a man selling homegrown tomatoes in his front yard, sitting in a lawn chair. "Why is she buying that?" I thought from the back seat of the car. At my grandmother's table a few hours later, I ate the tommys that she'd sliced and sprinkled with Morton's. Then, I understood.

M - Milk, in all its many forms. My family is so lactose dependent. We drink skim, put half-n-half in our coffee, eat yogurt, ice cream, and lots and lots of cheese. Sometimes I wish we had a Jersey in our backyard.

O - Olive. The name of a beloved Auntie, and also one of the most sublime fruits we have. Who ever figured out if you soaked 'em in lye then brine, they'd be so tasty? Or, if you smashed a million of 'em, you'd get a quart of green oil that blesses every food it anoints. Thank heavens they did.

M - Meatballs. I love them, always have. Too bad they remind Anthony of meatloaf.

M - again? Umm, miele, which is Italian for honey. Which I prefer over maple syrup on my waffles and pancakes.

Y - yams, aka sweet potatoes. I am so glad my friends Lisa & Michael taught me to grill them. Anna ate so many as an infant she developed a golden glow. I'd eat more of them, if only my family would enjoy them, too.

I hereby tag Stephanie, Emily, and my Dad, plus anyone else who loves food and wants an easy blog topic.

PS Thanks, Anthony, for adding those beautiful pics to my Minneapolis post.