Drinking Out of the Wrong Side of the Glass.

There are many folk remedies out there for curing the hiccups... but the ones that seem to work the best for me involve drinking water. Most people will tell you that the only way to get rid of the hiccups is just to wait it out (in fact the medical community insists that hiccup cures are all in your head). Given enough time, however, you will find that those same people have their own special cure that "works every time."

There are dozens of ways to cure the hiccups that involve using a glass of water. For example, you can drink water from the wrong side of the glass. Or, if you can figure it out, you can drink it upside down. You might try leaning your head all the way back and gulping it that way. Sometimes drinking water really fast works, but then again others swear that the slower the better. Should the water be room temperature or ice cold? You tell me... I've never really given it much thought. Some folks might have you drink the water through a straw or possibly through a paper towel placed over the rim of the glass. You can even try plugging your nose or your ears, oh hell, why not plug them both just for good measure. The possibilities go on and on. If just plain water doesn't work some say that vinegar, bitters or even lemonade should be added to the glass.

Personally I take my water straight up! I like to hold my breath while I count to ten and then down a 12 oz glass of water. It usually does the trick... but then again sometimes it doesn't.

How do you cure the hiccups?

I realize that it is not Sunday... but I usually don't sort out what I'm going to do with the prompt until the week is halfway over... The prompt this week was...glass.

Photo credit goes to wikipedia

Magnified

Salt magnifies the natural flavors of the food and is an essential part of seasoning. It is so much a part of the foods that we eat that we often take it for granted. Yet it is in our rituals, it is part of our language, and it has even changed history. Salt has been used as a preservative, a medicine, and a currency. It has a role in religious rituals and I dare you to count how many references to it are made in the bible. Salt might just be bigger than Jesus! Salt is so big that it can't be confined to such a tiny blurb on my blog... I could probably write a book on the subject.

Here are just a few expressions and idioms that we use every day:

Salt of the earth
Take it with a grain of salt
Worth his salt
Rub salt on a wound

Salt is also a traditonal housewarming gift in many traditions.

How is salt a part of your history... your lore... or you life?

Kiss My Grits-- Hominy and Soul

Last week the prompt for the Sunday creative was soul... I immediately thought about grits. Not only are grits part of the soul food tradition, but grits are at the very soul of Southern cooking.

My mother doesn't like grits, so even though Texas is on the edge of the grits belt (it stretches from Texas to Virginia), I didn't grow up eating this tasty treat. I don't think I had my first serving until I was in high school... and while I didn't dislike the flavor I didn't fall in love with it either. I cooked some the other day, however, and I glad I did. Grits are great! They are warm and gritty... They lend themselves to almost any flavor, savory or sweet, and they could be a side dish any time of day.
I like mine with butter, salt, and pepper. It was nice how the maple syrup from my pancakes surrounded them giving them just a little sweetness without overwhelming their simple flavor.

Grits are either made of corn or hominy. They can be served as a porridge or they can be formed into blocks and pan fried. You can serve them with cheese, bacon, onions, garlic, sugar, syrup, honey... just about anyway you can imagine. How do you like your grits?

It Takes Two...

peanut butter and jelly
bacon and eggs
ham and cheese
cinnamon and sugar
pretzels and mustard
milk and cereal
beans and rice
bagel and cream cheese
bread and butter
burger and fries
mashed potatoes and gravy
wine and cheese
chips and salsa
(hot from the oven homemade chocolate chip) cookies and milk
pie and coffee
tea and biscuits (That would be cookies for us Americans)
meat and potatoes
chicken and dumplings
tomato soup and grilled cheese
bangers and mash
fish and chips
corned beef and rye
salt and pepper
vinegar and oil
lettuce and tomato
pancakes and syrup
chicken and waffles
hummus and pita
popcorn and butter
soup and salad
birthday cake and ice cream
peas and carrots
pizza and beer
strawberries and chocolate
peaches and cream
Fritos and chili
chili and (hot)dog
ketchup and mustard
cream and sugar
pickles and ice cream
tea and lemon
chili and beans (yeah... I said it!)
cheese and crackers
peanut butter and celery
potato and egg (as in breakfast taco)
spaghetti and meatballs
toast and jelly
cream and sugar
jalapenos and nachos
peanut butter and bananas
whipped cream and a cherry
biscuits and gravy
chips and dip



Can you think of any other celebrated culinary combos?

Ritual Beverages

No this is not going to be about ancient drinks brewed over fires to give warriors their strength or shamans their sight...Hallucinogenic potions that made the Berserkers go berserk... or magical brews consumed to commune with the spirit world. Sure these are ritual beverages... But I'm talking about something a little closer to home for most of us...tea and coffee.

My morning coffee is certainly a ritual that I can't give up. Even when I was pregnant I drank half-caf. I think that my record without my morning cup is two days. I was in living in Mexico at the time and staying with friends in Toluca... I refuse to drink Nescafe and that was all that I could find so I had to wait a few days to have a cup of the real thing... It has always seemed strange to me that a country that grows the stuff... and in every other circumstance prides itself on fresh ingredients... would consume so much Nescafe...but in many parts of Mexico that is all you can find.

My husband prepares the coffee pot for me in the morning before he leaves for work. All I have to do is turn on the stove. We use a stove top espresso maker and make Cafe Americano... All I need is one cup and I'm set for the day... Occasionally on weekends I'll have a second cup... I like to drink my coffee with two small teaspoons of sugar and milk...although I'll do without the extras and drink it black as long as the coffee is rich and flavorful.

I once toured a coffee plantation in Honduras. This is what a coffee bean straight off the bush looks like. Inside the red skin lies the bean surrounded by an oily nectar like substance. The greenish colored bean will later be roasted and find it's way to your breakfast table. I will write about that adventure another time...

I also love drinking a cup of TAZO Decaf Chai in the evenings before bed... It is not as tasty as the real thing... but it is decaf (a must for me in the evenings)... and it is so much easier to make than real chai. Just pour in hot water... brew for 4 minutes... remove the tea bag and add sugar and milk.... Such a soothing evening ritual.

Do you have any food or beverage rituals?