Cooking And Eating....“Dis-moi ce que tu manges, je te dirai ce que tu es”

alternate serving....try these on fresh, crushed basil leaves and stewed, sliced galangal root.....

 HERETOFORE, I'D DINED ONLY ON GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICHES...WITHOUT ANIMAL PARTS, PICKLED OR PRESERVED.... AT TEN, I WAS INTRODUCED TO 'REDNECK PATE'....AKA SOUSE....A SPICY, GELATINOUS 'MEAT JELLY'  LOAF OF DISCARDABLE ANIMAL PARTS, GENERALLY EATEN ON SALTINE CRACKEES..... AND...TO HEAD CHEESE, EATEN ON DARK BREADS... VIA THE GERMAN COMMUNITY, IN HUNTSVILLE......  THEN, EVENTUALLY, DURING A TRIP TO PARIS......TO THE TERRINES OF SMOKED MORTEAU SAUSAGES,  IN PASTRY CRUSTS....WITH COLORFUL VARIETIES OF LENTILS....  THANK YOU, JULIA CHILD!  THANK YOU, 'GOURMET MAGAZINE'....FOR THE HOP, SKIP AND JUMP FROM 'POTTED MEAT' TO TERRINES OF PIG'S EARS AND FEET....THEN, TO VEGAN TERRINES OF ROASTED VEGETABLES AND GOAT CHEESE....   

                       FOLLOWED BY A CHOCOLATE CAPPUCCINO, LATER....HOW ABOUT A SUNDAE OF   QUARTERED BLUEBERRY CUPCAKE, SOAKED IN ORANGE LIQUOR, THAWING FRESH QUARTERED STRAWBERRIES...FORMERLY FROZEN IN COINTREAU.... THEN PEAKED WITH   A DEMI-SCOOP OF SPUMONI ICED CREAM.......

  PERHAPS, THE FIRST 'SOLID FOOD' IN MY DIET, AS A VERY YOUNG CHILD..... OATMEAL IS STILL A REGULAR/FAVORITE ITEM ON MY MENU.....IT WAS, IN MY YOUTH, JUST BOILED OATS, SUGAR OR MOLASSES/SORGHAM, AND MILK......OVER THE DECADES, "OATMEAL" HAS EVOLVED TO STEEL-CUT OATS,  BOILED IN LIGHTLY YELLOW SEA SALTED WATER, WITH YELLOW RAISINS,  POWDERED CINNAMON,  AND A TBSP OF SOURWOOD HONEY....THEN LIGHTLY BOILED FOR A COUPLE OF MORE MINUTES,   UNTIL TENDER, DUMPTED INTO A BOWL & COVERED WITH NON-DAIRY CHOCOLATE ALMOND MILK...MOST OF WHICH WILL BE ABSORBED BY THE OATS, LEAVING JUST A PUDDLE OF ALMOND MILK IN THE BOWL, TO BE SPOONED OVER THE CLUMP........ANY LEFTOVER OATMEAL WILL CONTINUE TO THICKEN AND 'LUMP', AND CAN BE FORMED INTO OATMEAL COOKIES AND BAKED WITH THE ADDITION OF SOME SEMI-SWEET CHOCOLATE CHIPS/CURLS....FOR TEA TIME, LATER IN THE AFTERNOON......