a mingled measure

[alchimie]

I have been feeling very meh as of late, for unknown reasons which may involve continuing local stressors (spouse is having round three of medical testing to figure out why various bloodwork numbers are so atypical), or may be due to long-ago trauma anniversaries, or may just be sleep deprivation/not enough sunlight/lack of vitamins or most likely some combination of all three. Today, however, for whatever equally unknown reason, I am feeling pleased with the world and desirous of talking to others, which is a lovely change of pace.

Last night spouse had gamers over, as is the Wednesday routine, and the particular gamer who provided dinner brought Oaxacan food from a local restaurant I hadn't known about before. I had enchiladas with mole negro, which is a long-standing favourite that I had not had in many years, and was very pleased with this version -- very rich mole sauce, soft tortillas, chicken flavourful rather than dry, and the beans and rice on the side were exactly to my taste -- I have a hard time with beans but these were very, very good. And then for appetisers, at my request he got chapulines, which are fried grasshoppers; I'd never had them before but I was very curious to try them, and I knew smol daughter would probably be likewise curious -- she ate crickets a few years back at a school event and enjoyed them a lot. As it turned out, the chapulines were absolutely delicious -- buttery, smoky, spicy, with lime juice to squeeze on, and surprisingly umami and satisfying. I did have a moment of difficulty when we first opened the container because they just do not look like food (yet), but I am glad I overcame it because I enjoyed them much more than I could have imagined and would certainly eat them again. Smol daughter enjoyed them too, and took them as a component of her lunchbox today, which may make for interesting stories to hear at pick-up time.

Tonight spouse is going to dinner and a museum with a friend, which means that once the children are in bed I can loll about watching Netflix -- I am almost done with the most recent season of The Great British Bake-Off, and I am wanting to pick up Terrace House again; I am still early in the most recent series, but already I have become very attached to two of the residents and am hoping they are successful in their goals and keep enjoying each other's company.

I am in a writing mood today, so almost certainly more to come.

Comments

[rachelmanija]

Hmm. I have never had chapulines, but I bet they exist in LA. They sound delicious, at least as prepared by that restaurant. And probably a very environmentally friendly form of meat.

[alchimie]

They really were delicious, and I was surprised at how meaty they were -- not at first taste, but as I chewed them, they had that richness of flavour I usually associate with eating good ribs/brisket. I don't know if that was the grasshoppers themselves or a flavouring element, but it made me happy, because I do love meat but the environmental concerns do loom large for me, and yes, it does seem like they would be much better for the planet. I'd bet they exist in LA too -- if you end up trying them I hope to hear about it.

(I was surprised to find them in San Jose, especially mere blocks from my house, which is in an area that seems more like big chain restaurants -- but we have an excellent Somali place and now this Oaxacan one, and there's good Korean too, so I think it is more my perceptions than the reality.)

[kass]

Okay, I am thoroughly fascinated by chapulines as a concept. I've eaten grasshoppers but it's been years and they weren't very good. I would need to look up whether grasshoppers are technically kosher now that I mtaintain a (modified) form of Jewish dietary practice, but I might be curious enough to try them regardless.