*I* wouldn't have minded if the arctic land bridge had been closed by magic

[flemmings]

The local supermarkets have reasonable prepared meals, but I never buy an entree from the Italian one without being reminded of those poor Meiji envoys sent to the capitals of the west in search of culture, technology, post offices, school systems, navy organization and you name it. What they spent most of their time searching for was a bowl of rice. A plain bowl of rice. A bowl of plain rice. Something without butter, parmesan, herbs, bits of chicken, bits of mushroom and bits of things best not asked about, that hadn't been stewed in meat stock for an hour, stirring constantly until reduced to mush. Plain white rice cooked in just enough water for just enough time and separating into fluffy grains. They didn't get it, poor sods.

So basically, Fiesta Farms, I'll bear the tomato stock and peas but no, rot it, I do *not* want the corn niblets.

Granted, had there been no first nations to cultivate the corn and tobacco and coffee beans that enticed my ancestors here in the first place, half of me would now be in Cumberland eating revolting bits of cow and the other half in Lyon eating unspeakable bits of pig. (Am not a fan of Lyonnaise charcuterie, which could almost give Cantonese cooking a run for its money in the 'we eat everything/ peasants can't be choosers' department.) However, half of me would be happily drunk on excellent wine, so I'd be content.

Comments

[i-am-zan.livejournal.com]

*raises hands* - I'll cook fluffy rice for you and you can have it on its own! and we even have decent, if slightly overpriced wine!

Any time my dear any time! ^_^

and and just out of curiousity ... what ARE corn niblets? I'm sorry it just sounds like chicken feed!

[flemmings.livejournal.com]

Do you cook chicken feet too? (just wondering...)

Niblets are individual kernels of corn. Do not ask me how frozen food makers manage to strip them intact from the corn cob, but they do, and then people put them indigestibly in everything. Though only the Japanese put them on pizza. (The Japanese love affair with corn rivals the Japanese love affair with fax machines and perplexes westerners just as much. 'You can have any soup so long as it's corn potage'--- bleccch.)

[i-am-zan.livejournal.com]

Actually they do here. Not me per se. But Chicken feet and things like giblets, necks and heads even are boiled down (with herbs and things and a lot of ginger)to make stock or broth. It is usually strained before being used though.

But really the Japanese and corn? Hmmm I didn't know that.

^_^ ... ahahaha yes! Fax machines.