Don't those look good?
Flashback.
I'm sick as a dog. My dad like to hop in his vee-hickle and drive. He just l-o-o-o-o-v-e-d driving around. No place was too far to drive to. That was never part of his calculation. I'm sitting in my dad's car with him driving down Federal Avenue, a street I avoid, but there is no street he avoids. We're going for lunch. We stop at Vietnamese place. I order these spring rolls for the first time. I had no idea you assemble them yourself right there at the table. Lettuce, mint, rice noodles, bean sprouts, shrimp cut laterally so they're shrimp-shaped but only half as thick, shredded carrots, possibly sliced cucumber. Dipping sauce. Two types, one with peanut butter. A stack of large round crispy rice paper wrappers, and a large bowl of warm water.
I could not get enough of these things. I ordered them three times. They're a splendid invention. Brilliant combination, delicious however they're put together, no matter how poorly, how thin, or how over-stuffed, or broken and repaired with two additional wrappers, whatever you do with this combination the result is delicious. I kept shoving them into my pie hole one after the other, fast as I could roll them, such that my pie hole was re-named "spring roll hole."
"Apologies for being such a pig."
"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. Bobby, it's a pleasure just seeing you eat."
My weight was way down.
Way down.
*squeaky voice* How far down was it?
You know how the smallest men's underwear is size 30 waist? I bought mine in the boy's section two sizes down. It goes, 16 then 14. Size 14, boy's. I was 38 years old. Dad was with me that day too. He couldn't accept what he was seeing. At home I had to show him they fit. Do you realize what a problem this is? And there goes my whole career dream as Calvin Klein model poof just like that. Too scrawny even for his heroine-chic phase.
Anyway, that memory is indelibly etched. Along the arowana fish in their aquarium by the front door, just a fish in a tank with no natural decoration at all, nothing to make the fish feel at home in the Amazon, no insects to spit at. Like this, I'll draw you a picture. It is a large aquarium, but it's a very large fish.
11 comments:
You have to have soy sauce to eat those things.
Never liked spring rolls. I don’t care for the texture of the condom wrappers.
My dad like to hop in his vee-hickle and drive. He just l-o-o-o-o-v-e-d driving around. No place was too far to drive to.
Hmmmm. Like father, like son? Was this a trait, tenacity or enjoyment passed on or conveyed to the point where the son ends up doing something similar with an entirely different type of vee-hickle? Click on a post, and off we go, driving around, with no place too far, no street he avoids.
Good story, with or without the similarities noted.
Still haven't tried them.
I could not get enough of these things. I ordered them three times.
Wondering what the goodness involved? Was it the freshness? The flavor? The crunch? Did they remind you of something you experienced in the past, in Japan perhaps?
A desire like that doesn't tend to spring out of nowhere, and go on a roll without some kind of physical need or emotional connection involving body, soul or both.
Can you recall what your dad ordered or did the spring rolls demand complete attention?
Still haven't tried them
Plenty of time to do so before the Christmas open house. The menu practically writes itself.
I bet they'd go great with homemade ginger ale made with a soda machine. A partay to remember. A do-it-yourself Partay With Levity!!
These things evolve to take on a life of their own: Partay with Levitay!!!
Ohhhh! Chex mix is sure to be a hit, with the Brazil/Bolivian nuts on the side, because sometimes one feels like a nut and sometimes too much selenium can be deadly.
No bites, not even a nibble, on the Partay with Levitay Open House proposal. Disappointing. Perhaps the idea is still churning around and needs to ferment some more. Or requires more sugar?
I will participate, sitting in my corner of the world, drinking sparkling water and making a toast with sourdough bread.
Good turn, Sixty! Now I have to think about what I might bring to the table. A Sourdough Salute would be a great addition!
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