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Food : I'll continue the food trend - What's the strangest thing you've ever eaten? My wife (accidentally) bought coffee made of cordyceps, which is a mushroom grown on caterpillars. I wasn't put off, so I suppose I have an accepting stomach. Second strangest thing I've eaten is a type of cave-aged cheese known as Mimolette. My wife and I were convinced it was the greatest cheese in the world and made the mistake of Googling what it is. Turns out it's cheese infested with 'Cheese Mites.' It's so delicious neither of us stopped eating it and buy it regularly. Had other out of the ordinary things - Jellyfish, and snails on a relative's farm on Oahu.
Still the biggest hurdle for me is Filipino food. I am half-Filipino, but Mom wanted me to grow up 'an American' so never cooked it for me. When relatives cook, I can scarcely be in the room in presence of its sight or smell. It's made of strange animals, strange parts of animals, is extraordinarily bland, and (worst of all) drenched in vinegar. My family is from the part of the country renowned for its cooking. Can't imagine how terrible it must be in other places. There's 'bagoong' which is fermented baby shrimp paste. It looks like grape jelly, but is NOT grape jelly, as I learned as a child who liked sandwiches. It smells vile. One of the only things I will eat is dinuguan - pig offal and pig's blood soup. It's the least vinegary thing on the menu so my default choice. People claim to 'like' pancit (super bland noodles) or lumpia (bland egg rolls full of ground meat) or adobo (chicken soaked in vinegar) but I think they're just relieved not to see bagoong or baloot (duck fetus in an egg) on the menu.
Curious to hear then - what are the strangest foods you've eaten, and are there any terrible foods from your culture that can out-do the Philippines?
Cordyceps, btw:
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Pics of your guitars back in the day : Got any? Or just any stories about old guitars you still have? The older the better. On top of being relieved my mother and I had Mexican rather than Filipino food for lunch, we also looked through old photo albums and I saw something familiar.
I started playing guitar on my dad's '76 Takamine F430 he obtained overseas while in the Air Force - I basically absconded with it (with his permission) when I was fourteen or so, and taught myself using his old Neil Diamond and Cat Stevens songbooks. I never thought I gelled with the guitar; thick, V-shaped neck that hurts my thumb, and it always sounded too 'round' and bouncy to my ears (laminate top.) But it's the same guitar I remember my dad singing songs to me with when I was three, so since my dad died earlier this year I'm simultaneously caring for it more - and playing it more.
My Dad and mom, before I was born and around the time he got the guitar:
Early nineties (couldn't guess the era if I didn't say it I suppose) - I'm in the pic but don't want to admit which one I am for obvious reasons:
Anyway, on to G&Ls and keeping my father in focus. I realized one year ago precisely I got my first G&L, the SC3 . It was something like 80 degrees in LA that day. Unfortunately this year it's a bit chillier, maxing out around 70 where I am today. Below is one of the last texts I ever had with my dad before he died:
Visiting my mom, I got a chance to see one of the other G&Ls (other than his old F100 ) that is now technically 'mine' (though I dislike the thought of it) : Tribute ASAT Deluxe. Next to it is the newer Takamine (G240?) he got when I took off with the old one. He won, because the below Takamine is a MUCH better guitar - but I have to say, whipping out the old one above really does feel like home to me, and I don't mind the way it sounds at this point either. I guess there's no point or question to this part of the Lunch Report, other than to further condense memories of my father; this has been our first Christmas without him. Still not taking the Tribute home, I feel it should stay where he left it at least for now, and my mom probably likes having it around.
