What's On Your Plate???

[digi7alph0enix]

Smaller display than usual, but still seeing its share of activity...

View attachment 169221

"Mom, why is that creepy man in sunglasses taking pictures of asparagus?"

"I don't know Timmy but don't go over there."

 

[kronin323]

"Mom, why is that creepy man in sunglasses taking pictures of asparagus?"

"I don't know Timmy but don't go over there."

lol - actually I try to avoid chit-chat as much as possible at the grocery, but an unusual thing happened on that trip...

I happened to be in the flour / spice / baking isle (why, a different story for another time). I got what I was looking for and as I was leaving it, I pass this woman standing next to a section of flour, half a dozen brands of the exact same thing. She's got a bag of flour in her hands and a puzzled look on her face.

Out of the blue, she asks me, "Excuse me, can you tell me which is the best flour to use for chicken fried steak?"

Most anything else, I would have just answered "those are all the same" and went on my way, but I was right next to a particular brand of Southern preseasoned flour that I like for that sort of thing. I grab a box and say "Use this stuff." But it doesn't end there...

"Is this enough or should I get two?"

"How many are you making?"

"Blah blah blah blah [adds up to about three]."

"Yeah that's enough. You might want to double-coat it.." I start to walk away...

"So do I mix the eggs with the flour like a batter or coat it with eggs and flour separately?" (She glances at a carton of eggs in her cart as she says this...)

"Dip it in the eggs, then the flour, then the eggs again, then the flour again."

"Do I have to season the eggs?"

"No, it more for glue than flavor; the flavor's in the seasoned flour."

"Okay thanks."

I finally get to disengage and walk away when I suddenly remember that the same seasoned flour makes a great Southern cream gravy that goes with CFS. I turn around and say, "BTW, do you know how to make cream gravy?"

"No..."

"Okay use the same seasoned flour; it's a 1:1:1 ratio, 1 TB butter to 1 TB flour to 1 cup milk. Melt the butter over medium heat in a small pot, whisk in the flour and let it cook for a minute. That's called a roux. While you're doing that, heat up the milk in the microwave. Whisk the milk into the roux and let it cook a few minutes until thickened."

"The flour thickens it?" [or something like that]

"Yes."

"Okay thanks."

Again I walk away to get some dairy products, right next to that isle. She, too, is grabbing some dairy. A minute later...

"BTW what's the best meat to use for CFS?"

"Oh, sirloin or cube steak, tenderized."

"They have some that's already tenderized, right?

"They should, I'm sure the meat guys can point you to the right stuff..."

"Okay thanks."

She heads to the meat section and that's the end of it.

I'm sure y'all are thinking this was some sort of pick-up opening, or the start of a "dear penthouse" letter, but no, it wasn't like that at all. For one thing, though she was younger she was not attractive at all, so there was no motivation on my part along those lines. And I'm not exactly Mr. Attractive these days, either, so I'd be kidding myself if I thought myself the subject of that sort of attention. And there was zero flirtatious undercurrent to the conversation.

It was just a case of some girl trying to do a meal who was absolutely clueless how to do it, head under water, and I just happened to be the person walking by when she decided to ask for help (there wasn't anyone else in the isle at the time). And she just lucked out and happened to ask somebody who actually knew those answers...

But I can't say I've ever had something like that happen before. Usually the most common request I get at the grocery store is from short people asking me to grab something for them from a high shelf...

 

[digi7alph0enix]

lol - actually I try to avoid chit-chat as much as possible at the grocery, but an unusual thing happened on that trip...

I happened to be in the flour / spice / baking isle (why, a different story for another time). I got what I was looking for and as I was leaving it, I pass this woman standing next to a section of flour, half a dozen brands of the exact same thing. She's got a bag of flour in her hands and a puzzled look on her face.

Out of the blue, she asks me, "Excuse me, can you tell me which is the best flour to use for chicken fried steak?"

Most anything else, I would have just answered "those are all the same" and went on my way, but I was right next to a particular brand of Southern preseasoned flour that I like for that sort of thing. I grab a box and say "Use this stuff." But it doesn't end there...

"Is this enough or should I get two?"

"How many are you making?"

"Blah blah blah blah [adds up to about three]."

"Yeah that's enough. You might want to double-coat it.." I start to walk away...

"So do I mix the eggs with the flour like a batter or coat it with eggs and flour separately?" (She glances at a carton of eggs in her cart as she says this...)

"Dip it in the eggs, then the flour, then the eggs again, then the flour again."

"Do I have to season the eggs?"

"No, it more for glue than flavor; the flavor's in the seasoned flour."

"Okay thanks."

I finally get to disengage and walk away when I suddenly remember that the same seasoned flour makes a great Southern cream gravy that goes with CFS. I turn around and say, "BTW, do you know how to make cream gravy?"

"No..."

"Okay use the same seasoned flour; it's a 1:1:1 ratio, 1 TB butter to 1 TB flour to 1 cup milk. Melt the butter over medium heat in a small pot, whisk in the flour and let it cook for a minute. That's called a roux. While you're doing that, heat up the milk in the microwave. Whisk the milk into the roux and let it cook a few minutes until thickened."

"The flour thickens it?" [or something like that]

"Yes."

"Okay thanks."

Again I walk away to get some dairy products, right next to that isle. She, too, is grabbing some dairy. A minute later...

"BTW what's the best meat to use for CFS?"

"Oh, sirloin or cube steak, tenderized."

"They have some that's already tenderized, right?

"They should, I'm sure the meat guys can point you to the right stuff..."

"Okay thanks."

She heads to the meat section and that's the end of it.

I'm sure y'all are thinking this was some sort of pick-up opening, or the start of a "dear penthouse" letter, but no, it wasn't like that at all. For one thing, though she was younger she was not attractive at all, so there was no motivation on my part along those lines. And I'm not exactly Mr. Attractive these days, either, so I'd be kidding myself if I thought myself the subject of that sort of attention. And there was zero flirtatious undercurrent to the conversation.

It was just a case of some girl trying to do a meal who was absolutely clueless how to do it, head under water, and I just happened to be the person walking by when she decided to ask for help (there wasn't anyone else in the isle at the time). And she just lucked out and happened to ask somebody who actually knew those answers...

But I can't say I've ever had something like that happen before. Usually the most common request I get at the grocery store is from short people asking me to grab something for them from a high shelf...

If only there was some place to search for answers to these questions... And some sort of device to use while away from home that could access that place...

I wonder what her first car buying experience was like.

 

[kronin323]

If only there was some place to search for answers to these questions... And some sort of device to use while away from home that could access that place...

I wonder what her first car buying experience was like.

lol I think she had googled it beforehand; she at least knew enough to get eggs, flour, and meat. But recipes often assume some level of base knowledge, don't include "cooking 101" details, and she was just way underprepared and uncertain...

 

[OakleyFrankFMJ]

lol I think she had googled it beforehand; she at least knew enough to get eggs, flour, and meat. But recipes often assume some level of base knowledge, don't include "cooking 101" details, and she was just way underprepared and uncertain...

You could have put some certainty in her.

 

[kronin323]

You could have put some certainty in her.

Ugggh, no...

20 years ago, might have considered it, though. Back then, I'd **** most anything female, human, and relatively cleaned up...

 

[OakleyFrankFMJ]

Ugggh, no...

20 years ago, might have considered it, though. Back then, I'd **** most anything female, human, and relatively cleaned up...

Stinky? Stinky BAD

 

[kronin323]

Stinky? Stinky BAD

lol never pick up women in the seafood section - you can never be sure exactly where that odor's coming from...

 

[OakleyFrankFMJ]

lol never pick up women in the seafood section - you can never be sure exactly where that odor's coming from...

LeQ? Paying attention to these words of wisdom?

 

[digi7alph0enix]

lol never pick up women in the seafood section - you can never be sure exactly where that odor's coming from...

Don't get seafood that smells like that either.... fresh or gtfo