Tuesday &c

 

One of my solemnly sworn writing principles is never (never is an extreme word, so hardly ever) begin an essay, blogpost, sermon, paragraph, and - - okay with phrases following a semicolon but - - very few sentences, with the word "So" because it's too common, although one of my favorite authors, Harry Golden, even has a book titled "So, What Else Is New?"

It was a favorite book, one of several he published that were collections of essays from his days with "The Carolina Israelite" newspaper, his half tongue in cheek socio-political essays based on his life in the segregated South, and on his life growing as a Jew is the garment district Lower East Side of NYC. Harry Golden was an extraordinarily observant, thinking, and expressive person; if you've not read his writings you've missed something worthwhile in life.

But I wander, matter of fact, I even started out wandering because I'd started to open with the word So, and got off track before even beginning.

What was it about?

So, we had Mom's Usual Meatloaf! It was so many years ago that my children may not hold it as one of their treasured growing up memories, but there were years when one of our favorite suppers in our family was the meatloaf that Linda made, which eventually came to be known as "Mom's Usual." It could not and did not ever vary in the slightest, even to the tomato sauce baked on top. I always loved cutting a thick slightly red-rare slice from the middle.

Another over the top favorite was always Mom's Usual Pot Roast with potatoes, onions, and carrots. In her family growing up, Linda had known it as Stringy Meat, prepared by Virginia Baker, their cook. Virginia did other things too, including roast leg of lamb with its salty black gravy for the rice. Virginia was a beloved family treasure who surprised us long years later by coming to Tassy's wedding at Trinity Church in Apalachicola; we were so proud and happy to see her that one last Time. 

But this is still about yesterday's meatloaf. It was perfect. I'd bought lean ground beef to make a ground beefsteak seared crispy black on both sides and warm red raw in the center. It takes an almost red hot cast iron skillet, and I have to press the meat patty, about eight to twelve ounces, out to about 3/4 to half an inch thickness. Plop it into the skillet, count to twenty, flip it over, count to twenty, and take it off and onto my heated dinner plate. I rely on getting the beef at the meat counter at TAFB Commissary, totally red, no white fat showing, 96% to 97% fat free. When I want beef, to me it's as tasty as any steak. But I didn't get this ground beef at the Commissary, and it was like 93%, and it did not make the perfect ground beefsteak; so Linda made the meatloaf with the rest of the package, which was about a pound and a half. The meatloaf turned out perfect; cooked with Rao's red tomato with bell peppers and mushrooms spaghetti sauce spooned on top.

It was so good for noon dinner yesterday, that I defied my strict countdown diet before my annual physical weigh-in on Monday 5 August, to have another thick slice for breakfast. Which means little or nothing for noon dinner, because we're taking Kristen out for supper at Capt's Table this evening - - late afternoon actually, they open at four o'clock, and I need some oysters.

What do I usually order at C's Table? Two dozen raw half-shell and the fried mullet. Considering my countdown situation I may forego the mullet this Time.

See, and you thought you were going to get another quickie Bible study. Maybe tomorrow, eh?

RSF&PTL

T88&c

+Time is never a political blog, but I like Mark Kelly.

Map: In their travels, Ray, Britany and Lilly are in Montana right now.