Food and other such holidays

[Vanimal46]

Today is National Prom Day! Man, is it really that time of year already? Let's flash back to the times when you were in prom... Slow dances, hands on your partner's hips, no funny business here!

Today is also National Tater Day! Growing up in the midwest, I thought meat and potatoes were the best option for a meal. Now that I'm in Texas, I realize I'm very wrong. Tex-Mex has changed my life... Put anything in a tortilla and I will eat it. 

Today is also National Clams on the Half Shell Day! I prefer clams steamed, but has anyone tried alternative ways to cook them that are good?

 

Finally, today is National Bunsen Burner Day! Brings me back to the chemistry days in high school.... 

[Squirrel]

I like Taters. Just about any way you cook them. Not a big fan of German potato salad, though; nor do I want to see pimentos in regular potato salad. But other than that, I like taters. I'd be hard pressed to find a tater I don't like ... other than what I mentioned. Favorite kind? That's tough. Let me think on it.

 

Clams ... used to love 'em ... probably still do ... but my body now thinks they are poison, thanks to a bad oyster I got once upon a time. That bad oyster has ruined all mollusk eating for me. Clams only make me a little sick, though. But it's still not worth it. And oysters anything? Yikes. That would be a big time no. So sad. I have to be very careful now to read/ask about ingredients in sauces and soups and whatnot. Just, no. So sad.

 

Heh ... I remember my high school chemistry class very well. Was one of my favorite classes ever. LOVED chemistry, especially the labs. In the winter, my teacher would go out and scoop up snow to use instead of ice. Right ... snow, high school kids, unattended labs ... good times.

[Craig Arko]

What's taters, precious?

[Mike Sixel]

Prom day seems a bit early to me.....in MN, at least, they are mostly in May, which I know because our wedding anniversary is in May, and we spend most years being entertained by 16-18 year olds trying to figure out how to order, eat, etc, in fancy restaurants. 

 

I love potatoes, in most any form. 

[twinsnorth49]

Potatoes, yes, in pretty much any form but roasties are probably my single favourite.  Linguine and clams in a white wine sauce is one of my favourite ways to devour clams, although on the half shell with some tobasco is an all time classic.

 

Proms aren't up here until June typically.

 

Bunson burners, high school chemistry...........don't get me started......

[Vanimal46]

Thinking back I do recall prom being more in the middle of May, and your story is dead on about 16-18 year olds figuring out how to order food at fancy restaurants, Mike. I'm sure I was one of those kids that ordered a Mountain Dew with my steak that night.... 

[Willihammer]

I also ate a mollusk of some kind a while ago and it nearly killed me so, hard pass on the raw seafood, personally. Unless maybe its ground up and pattied and grilled to a crisp.

Taters are great. Fried taters are even better. With ketchup and salt. Lots of salt.

[twinsnorth49]

 

I also ate a mollusk of some kind a while ago and it nearly killed me so, hard pass on the raw seafood, personally. Unless maybe its ground up and pattied and grilled to a crisp.

Taters are great. Fried taters are even better. With ketchup and salt. Lots of salt.

No.........just no.

[Willihammer]

 

No.........just no.

Don't tell me you're one of those weirdos who puts mayo on his fries.

[Vanimal46]

 

Don't tell me you're one of those weirdos who puts mayo on his fries.

Ish. Mayo on fries just sounds disgusting.... I can deal with ketchup on fries, but personally like to mix ketchup and mustard together. Otherwise, honey mustard is fantastic... ranch, or BBQ sauce also works. 

[twinsnorth49]

 

Don't tell me you're one of those weirdos who puts mayo on his fries.

No,no,straight up salt and sometimes malt vinegar guy,  I just loathe ketchup in general. Although Mayo mixed with chili sauce and a bit of powdered curry is a great dip for sweet potato fries. 

[Craig Arko]

I'll put in a pitch for potato soup.

 

When I was a kid you could still buy real chemistry sets from the hobby shops. My favorites were the geology-centric ones, where you could experiment with the various minerals.

[twinsnorth49]

 

Ish. Mayo on fries just sounds disgusting.... I can deal with ketchup on fries, but personally like to mix ketchup and mustard together. Otherwise, honey mustard is fantastic... ranch, or BBQ sauce also works. 

Honey mustard I can get behind but BBQ sauce, except when caramelised to a sticky goo I just don't get.

[Squirrel]

 

Don't tell me you're one of those weirdos who puts mayo on his fries.

There is nothing like having frites in Belgium with mayo. I don't mind ketchup on my fries, but with the onset of acid reflux, tomato sauces (and ketchup is a tomato sauce) are difficult for me to digest without repercussions. So, instead of ketchup ... all kinds of things on my fries ... mayo, all kinds of aioli, cheese ... mmmmmm

[biggentleben]

Prom is early April around here...busy time during school as I went to 5 in my high school career.

[Vanimal46]

Happy April Fool's Day! Anybody have tricks up their sleeve today for their kids or co-workers?

Today is also National Sourdough Day! One of my all-time favorite breads.. 

Today is also National One Cent Day! The penny has to be the least appreciated coin out there.. 

[Mike Sixel]

The penny should be eliminated, but as usual, our government cannot make change.

[twinsnorth49]

4 year Anniversary of Canada's elimination of the penny next month. Man, I don't miss a bunch of pennies loading down my pocket.

 

I like sourdough.....a lot.

[Craig Arko]

Our dog Toby used to sniff out pennies on the ground. Since we had to put him down (cancer) four years ago next month every time we find a penny we think of him. And smile. I don't mind so much having them around.

 

Sourdough? 49er's flapjacks.

[Squirrel]

I have lots of pennies. When I get too loaded down with them, I empty them into a jar. I have lots of pennies. Some of them are really old. Not as old as Chief, but still pretty old.

[biggentleben]

Not a fan of having pranks done to me, so I do not partake in them, but today has always been about my father's birthday anyway, so I just let the day roll by and ensure those around me know that their future existence relies upon them celebrating his birthday and not pranking me...

[Craig Arko]

Not sure if this is a prank or not; our ChiTown expert may need to vet it.

 

http://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2016/04/tom-hiddleston-thor-weather-report

 

[formerly33]

According to Lang Lang, he's discovered a new instrument which he loves even more than the piano, and beginning in 2017, he's going to retire all piano repertoire to focus on his first recording of Haydn's Trumpet Concerto in E-flat major.

 

I'm surprised he didn't go so far as to change the key ... which reminds me of Mr. Morphin's memorable quote from Dombey and Son: "I have whistled, hummed tunes, [and] gone accurately through the whole of Beethoven's [Cello] Sonata in B ... " For those who are interested, a little useless trivia: although the last installment of the book was, in fact, published on April 1st, 1948, the sonata reference came earlier.

[Squirrel]

 

Not sure if this is a prank or not; our ChiTown expert may need to vet it.

 

http://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2016/04/tom-hiddleston-thor-weather-report

Well, the date on that was yesterday, so definitely not a prank. But I didn't see it! Damn it! I LOVE Tom Hiddleston, maybe even more than Chris Hemsworth!

[twinsnorth49]

 

According to Lang Lang, he's discovered a new instrument which he loves even more than the piano, and beginning in 2017, he's going to retire all piano repertoire to focus on his first recording of Haydn's Trumpet Concerto in E-flat major.

 

I'm surprised he didn't go so far as to change the key ... which reminds me of Mr. Morphin's memorable quote from Dombey and Son: "I have whistled, hummed tunes, [and] gone accurately through the whole of Beethoven's [Cello] Sonata in B ... " For those who are interested, a little useless trivia: although the last installment of the book was, in fact, published on April 1st, 1948, the sonata reference came earlier.

Ok I read this and thought I teleported into the music lovers thread, what's happening?

[Squirrel]

 

Ok I read this and thought I teleported into the music lovers thread, what's happening?

An attempt at an April Fool's Day joke.

[Craig Arko]

Today marks the 20th anniversary of National Poetry Month.

 

https://www.poets.org/national-poetry-month/home

[Craig Arko]

A Ballad of Baseball Burdens - Franklin Pierce Adams

 

The burden of hard hitting. Slug away

Like Honus Wagner or like Tyrus Cobb.

Else fandom shouteth: “Who said you could play?

Back to the jasper league, you minor slob!”

Swat, hit, connect, line out, get on the job.

Else you shall feel the brunt of fandom’s ire

Biff, bang it, clout it, hit it on the knob—

This is the end of every fan’s desire.

 

The burden of good pitching. Curved or straight.

Or in or out, or haply up or down,

To puzzle him that standeth by the plate,

To lessen, so to speak, his bat-renoun:

Like Christy Mathewson or Miner Brown,

So pitch that every man can but admire

And offer you the freedom of the town—

This is the end of every fan’s desire.

 

The burden of loud cheering. O the sounds!

The tumult and the shouting from the throats

Of forty thousand at the Polo Grounds

Sitting, ay, standing sans their hats and coats.

A mighty cheer that possibly denotes

That Cub or Pirate fat is in the fire;

Or, as H. James would say, We’ve got their goats—

This is the end of every fan’s desire.

 

The burden of a pennant. O the hope,

The tenuous hope, the hope that’s half a fear,

The lengthy season and the boundless dope,

And the bromidic; “Wait until next year.”

O dread disgrace of trailing in the rear,

O Piece of Bunting, flying high and higher

That next October it shall flutter here:

This is the end of every fan’s desire.

 

ENVOY

 

Ah, Fans, let not the Quarry but the Chase

Be that to which most fondly we aspire!

For us not Stake, but Game; not Goal, but Race—

THIS is the end of every fan’s desire.

[Craig Arko]

Happy Square Root Day!

 

I hear the Twins might be playing too.

[Squirrel]

I'm declaring this to be National Cracker Jacks Day in honor of the Twins opening day! I might have to go buy me some just for the occasion! But the prizes nowadays are pretty lame.