"Carl's Lounge" (Off-Topic Discussion, Traditional Knife "Tales & Vignettes")

[Wurrwulf]

Thanks, everyone, for the kind words. Before my dad passed, he said multiple times that I was far too young to have experienced as much death and sickness as I have. My father was diagnosed with cancer when I was 8. I was 15 when my grandmother passed. Then three years later, my father and I watched a family friend that I had known and admired since I was young child pass away in a car crash. My father then passed 5 years later when I was 23. My mom's brother-in-law passed almost exactly a year after my dad, and now dad's brother-in-law passed this morning. His son is about the same age that I was when I lost my dad. I can't afford to bring the whole family, so I think it'll just be my mom, brother, and I taking the trip to the east coast. I feel that I have to be there for my cousin. There's enough stress in life and changes in life from ages 18-25; I've experienced the additional pain and anguish that he will now be dealing with.

It just beats you down.

 

[btb01]

If you don't know what the meat is and if it is correctly prepared, you might enjoy it. Same for pig feet and else.

I feel like it’s difficult to disguise pig’s feet. Anytime I’ve ever seen them served as food, they still look unmistakeably like feet.

…you can leave a lorry full of peanut butter or jello doors wide open in my street, noone will steal any...

I studied German in high school and college, and had one teacher (from Germany) who told us that Germans hate peanut butter. Is that true of the French, as well?

 

[jc57]

Lost my mother to cancer 42 years ago this month, when I was a sophomore in college. She was just a little older than I am now. My father lived to be 88, so thankfully I got to spend a good portion of my life with him in it and got to know him as an adult, though he's been gone for nearly 18 years now and my life still seems much emptier without him.

 

[abbydaddy]

I am sorry for your loss Shawn. There is no good way to lose a loved one, but some ways have their own special pains and horrors.

 

[Will Power]

One of my uncles passed away this morning. He's the 4th family member in the last 15 years to be taken by cancer- 3rd to be taken before the age of 60. I hate this disease so much.

Very heavy burden for you and deeply distressing. But wickedly, cancer is an epidemic in these times and who can say they have not experienced it first hand or through others? I grow angered when I hear glib politicians & statisticians sound on about everybody is living so much longer these days, the numbers people over 100 is a record etc we must work longer bla bla. OK per 100 people there are say 3 x more people living over a 100 but it's still tiny. If anything, evidence begins to suggest we are now starting to live shorter lives than the immediate generation. In the building I work, I know of 8 people who have had cancer, 3 dead and none of them were near 60 and the workforce is not hundreds, maybe 70. My parents who were born in the second decade of the last century didn't have cancer, 3 0ut of 4 grandparents didn't have it and when people did it was usually common cancers in their generations. Now all manner of rarer cancers seem to strike people at early ages than before, it's appalling.

Let us pause for thought to consider all those battling this terrifying plague, and for those left behind to grieve, whatever our beliefs.

 

[Fodderwing]

I'm sorry to hear of your loss Shawn. God's speed as you travel. Amen Will.

 

[meako]

Sincere condolences Shawn.

 

[leghog]

Yeah, my grandfather caught and ate everything he could during that same period, he'd even eaten cat (as he reckoned had a lot of folks who thought they were eating rabbit). I used to eat horse regularly, really tasty in my opinion. In the past folks here ate our small hedgehogs, rolled them in clay, and buried them beneath the fire to roast. They're endangered now though. I used to have a book published here between the two world wars, which covered just about everything you could find to eat here, how to catch it, cook it, and what it tasted like, even voles and rats. We have a lot of squirrels here, but very few folks eat them.



I used to see those sections in French supermarkets too

I've had cat. Dog too. All number of mammals and other animals and any number of their parts and pieces. I've eaten weird things in exotic places. I'll try anything edible and have never tried anything edible I didn't like (excepting super hot peppers). Life is too short not to at least try everything you can or are offered. Might discover a new favorite.

 

[5K Qs]

...
He brought a cow's tongue from the local butcher shop to show her that folks actually ate such things. That's been almost fifty years ago and she still goes "eeew" when I bring it up.

When I was growing up on a dairy farm, we'd annually send one of our old cows to be butchered. We'd keep half of it for our family, and give a quarter of a cow each to a couple of relatives. We'd always get the tongue, and my Dad liked it. Not me. My Mom would also boil the liver and we'd slice it to make sandwiches. I didn't care for those cold boiled liver sandwiches so much, but I didn't refuse to eat them, and since I left the farm, I usually take every opportunity I can to get liver and onions which is orders of magnitude better than our boiled liver!

- GT

 

[r8shell]

I've had cat. Dog too. All number of mammals and other animals and any number of their parts and pieces. I've eaten weird things in exotic places. I'll try anything edible and have never tried anything edible I didn't like (excepting super hot peppers). Life is too short not to at least try everything you can or are offered. Might discover a new favorite.

 

[Prester John]

I've had cat. Dog too. All number of mammals and other animals and any number of their parts and pieces. I've eaten weird things in exotic places. I'll try anything edible and have never tried anything edible I didn't like (excepting super hot peppers). Life is too short not to at least try everything you can or are offered. Might discover a new favorite.

I must respectfully, but most strenuously, disagree! I mean, for example, eating cats and dogs seems almost like cannibalism. I know it isn't, but it SEEMS like it.

 

[knarfeng]

My condolences to you and your family Shawn.

 

[Misplaced Hillbilly]

First, sincere condolences Shawn, my Dad got colon cancer during a time due to my own mistakes I couldn't be there in person for him. Thank God he beat it. Really good to go and support your cousin, its really difficult to loose a parent when they are still young. My Mother passed of a heart attack in '02, she was only 47. I was devastated as I was very close to my Mom. Of all my family I felt the most support and comfort from my cousins who'd lost their mother to cancer when we was younger. Especially my cousin Paulette as were only few months apart in age. She didn't even say anything just came up to me and a look passed between us and she grabbed me and just held on. Of all the people around me at the time, it meant allot to me, I felt at the time that she was the only person in the world who knew my pain, because she'd been there before herself.

 

[Misplaced Hillbilly]

I must respectfully, but most strenuously, disagree! I mean, for example, eating cats and dogs seems almost like cannibalism. I know it isn't, but it SEEMS like it.

I read somewhere that in colonial America or maybe before that in England,they passed a law requiring butchers to leave at least 1 foot on a rabbit so people would know its a rabbit and not a cat. NOT because cats was taboo, but because rabbit was premium and butchers was cheating people selling cats at rabbit prices
Edit: hence "lucky rabbits foot"

 

[jc57]

We feed rabbit meat to our cats. If they were hungry enough, I'd feed them leghog meat. It might become their new favorite.

 

[r redden]

One of my uncles passed away this morning. He's the 4th family member in the last 15 years to be taken by cancer- 3rd to be taken before the age of 60. I hate this disease so much.

Hey buddy I really hate to hear of your uncles passing. Will have you and your family in my thoughts and prayers .

 

[Jack Black]

That's right; about the last This Old House I saw was the one where they went ahead and flattened a mansard roof without planning permssion. I think it was LG, definitely within my old stomping grounds. "Well, Gervase, would you do it again?" "No. We had to cut out all the new structural steel and weld in more new steel at the old angle. We've sold all the blood we've got and now we have to sell the flat". "Cheer up, Gervase, you're not the only one to have problems remodelling."

I haven't been round there for 20 years Jer, and it had been gentrified out of all recognition even then

Let's not knock Wine Gums.. They RULE especially the Sours. Ate half a box at once and wondered why I got huge thirst and turbo pulse rate. Gum Snakes are nice too, you should like those meako as you're a reptile fan Kryptonite keeps the kool factor too

That's a cool pic Will

One of my uncles passed away this morning. He's the 4th family member in the last 15 years to be taken by cancer- 3rd to be taken before the age of 60. I hate this disease so much.

Very sorry for your loss Shawn

A good job he has his 'Monster Munch'! I'm amazed you can understand a word of that Rachel!

I read somewhere that in colonial America or maybe before that in England,they passed a law requiring butchers to leave at least 1 foot on a rabbit so people would know its a rabbit and not a cat. NOT because cats was taboo, but because rabbit was premium and butchers was cheating people selling cats at rabbit prices
Edit: hence "lucky rabbits foot"

Rabbit is no longer widely eaten here, but where it is offered for sale, the head is left on. I don't know if it is law anymore, or just custom, but the reason is to differentiate it from cat. Mind you, not a week goes by here without some scandal in the meat industry. Because you pay for beef stew or pork sausages, it doesn't mean that's what you're getting

We feed rabbit meat to our cats. If they were hungry enough, I'd feed them leghog meat. It might become their new favorite.

 

[Jolipapa]

Shawn, sorry for your loss. Whatever the cause, all that remains is a big hole in your heart.

I feel like it’s difficult to disguise pig’s feet. Anytime I’ve ever seen them served as food, they still look unmistakeably like feet.
...

Maybe not?

...
I studied German in high school and college, and had one teacher (from Germany) who told us that Germans hate peanut butter. Is that true of the French, as well?

Can't say we hate PB, we rather ignore, just not in our habits. Dakatine is peanut butter produced for ex West African Colonies to fight malnourishment.
You'll find some US brands in supermarkets (same for maple syrup, sometime Reese's bars) but this is aimed at expatriate Americans or tourists.

 

[screened porch]

A near contemporary of mine was brought to Europe by his parents along with two five-pound buckets of Shedd's peanut butter, because that was all he would eat.

 

[leghog]

I must respectfully, but most strenuously, disagree! I mean, for example, eating cats and dogs seems almost like cannibalism. I know it isn't, but it SEEMS like it.

What many in Western Europe and the USA consider taboo in food are actually delicacies. Don't slam a food until you've actually tried it yourself.

We feed rabbit meat to our cats. If they were hungry enough, I'd feed them leghog meat. It might become their new favorite.

And? You think cats are somehow more special than pigs, cows, sheep, elk, etc. so should not be eaten? At least your cats would probably be willing to try leghog before they turned their noses up at it. I'm amazed at how many are so closed minded about food.