Food in My Thoughts

It's hard to get away from it.  Seems that food is taking over my mind this morning much like that Eric Church song about "Springsteen," mentioned in one of last week's postings.

By the way, twice while mowing lawn the other day, I heard the song with my headset, The rhythm of certain segments stuck with me for hours. 

That's the problem with food.  It sticks with me for hours, days, months and years, only for different reasons.  At least, the songs go away after a few days. 

Today is "Food Day" in the Spokane paper.  The feature this week spotlights hamburgers---those that go beyond the beef.  I saw photos of mushroom, tuna and buffalo burgers.  

Now, I can tell you that I won't be spending the day with visions of tuna, mushrooms or buffalo dancing around in my head. 

Give me a good beefburger any day AND please note that I said a "good" beefburger.  

I heard Bill talking burgers last night on the telephone.  

That conversation occurred shortly after I had talked to Annie on the phone while eating my Wood's German sausage sandwich.  

Popping the last bite in my mouth while listening to Annie, I told her what I was eating.

She loves her Wood's German sausages and usually picks up a supply before going back to Seattle. 

I could not resist telling her how I fix my favored version. 

First, slice the sausage into bite-sized increments, leaving a little skin on one side to hold it together.

I learned that trick a few years back after ordering a Polish sausage sandwich at a horse-show concession in Scottsdale.

Being able to snip off a bite without having the whole sausage come with it makes for much easier eating, longer enjoyment of the entire sandwich and a lot less mess to wipe off your face as six inches of meat hangs out your lips and dribbles into your lap.

Anyway, after slicing,  put the sausage in the stadium bun on top of two sliced sticks of Tillamook medium cheddar cheese.  Wrap in aluminum foil and cook on a low heat in the oven for maybe twenty minutes.

Pull out the sandwich with cheese melted on the sausage, add Best Foods mayonnaise, mustard and sweet cucumber pickle slices.  A true delight for my palate!

I don't know if Annie will try my recipe, but I do know that the later hamburger conversation Bill was having with his friend Boz attracted my attention.  

While eavesdropping, I learned that Boz had tried my favorite sandwich on the Mick Duff's menu:  the Irish pub burger.  Swiss cheese, pastrami, sauerkraut, sliced dill pickle, lettuce, tomato special sauce, and juicy big burger on large heated bun.  

We also learned last night that Boz  liked his Irish pub burger, just as much as I do.

My problem is that this mouth-watering sandwich is just too big for me to EAT THE WHOLE THING. 

Bill loves that cuz in addition to his dinner, he gets a quarter Pub burger.

In Bill's telephone conversation, there was discussion of  burgers served at another local restaurant, to which I piped up that they just don't measure up to what they used to be.

I like my burgers cooked. 

I don't, however,  like my burgers cooked so much they look and feel like buffalo chips.

Both burgers I've sampled at said place have threatened to bleed all over my plate.

And, when burgers threaten to bleed all over my plate---just like the guy mad at the cable company---I have weird thoughts.  

So far, I haven't ended up in a roadside ditch, but I really would like to tell these people to cook their meat.

I'm trying to decide if I'll order a burger for lunch today.  We're going to Di Luna's in downtown Sandpoint,  and I must say that I've never ordered one of their burgers.

Maybe today's the day.

Regardless of what we eat, it will be a fun lunch.  Kathy Allen Conger and I have been given the assignment of writing/presenting a speech about Virginia Wood at the Women of Wisdom Gala in June.  

   

I'm sure our experience of getting to know Virginia better will trump whatever appears on our plates. 

I AM betting, though, that Virginia orders beef, and I'll also put odds on the fact that she'll want it cooked. 

As a longtime member of the CowBelles, Virginia has spent years promoting beef throughout the community.   And, I'll bet she knows how to cook a good burger.

I think it's time for me to go put on my headphones and listen for "Springsteen."  Maybe that will get my mind off from food. 

Happy Wednesday.