Let Us Talk About COMFORT FOOD!!

[sgriobhadair]

Originally posted by PRgirl

Hmmm. When is it tea time? And isn't tea an Asian origin thing? And why did the UK adopt it so strongly? I would think because of the wet, cold dampy climate. I would think a hot cup of tea is soothing under those climates. In Puerto Rico they give you tea when you are on bedrest or very sick or dying. Otherwise hit the coffee and juices from tropical fruit or Mavi, or something like that. .

When is tea time? Any time. Let's ask Thomas de Quincey, the amazing 19th Century author (Confessions of an English Opium Eater): "Paint me an eternal tea-pot, for I usually drink tea from eight o'clock at night to four o'clock in the morning."

Tea obviously suffers from a bad image as a drink for the feeble and degenerate. This is of course a result of a concerted effort by Americans, expressing an antipathy that began with the Boston tea party. In fact the reason why Scots people drink tea is the same reason why Americans drink coffee: to maintain a high level of caffeine in the blood stream. Americans have no right to feel superior about their preferred potion. Caffeine is America's most widespread addictive drug. If you don't believe me, imagine what would happen a day after all the caffeine in America miraculously evaporated. Road rage, domestic violence, shootings, house-breaking and looting in search of a surviving jar of Nescafe. A period of national cold turkey would destroy American civilization as we know it. Except that everyone would suddenly discover tea.

Tea delivers its life-saving caffeine in a gentler format that doesn't cause the same violence to the system: none of the racing heart, trembling and bowel spasms that often come with coffee.

To support my point, I once again call on Mr. De Quincey:

"Tea, though ridiculed by those who are naturally coarse in their nervous sensibilities will always be the favorite beverage of the intellectual."

[PRgirl]

Sg said:
"Tea obviously suffers from a bad image as a drink for the feeble and degenerate. This is of course a result of a concerted effort by Americans, expressing an antipathy that began with the Boston tea party. In fact the reason why Scots people drink tea is the same reason why Americans drink coffee: to maintain a high level of caffeine in the blood stream. Americans have no right to feel superior about their preferred potion. Caffeine is America's most widespread addictive drug. If you don't believe me, imagine what would happen a day after all the caffeine in America miraculously evaporated. Road rage, domestic violence, shootings, house-breaking and looting in search of a surviving jar of Nescafe. A period of national cold turkey would destroy American civilization as we know it. Except that everyone would suddenly discover tea."

Suki: Hmm,an argument is brewing in Cuisine. HAHA. I have to tell you Sg, that tropical heat and climates is an ideal place to have some caffeine. Because otherwise the heat and humidity saps the energy and lethargy sets in. It does. I still remember the lunch hour and the following hour after that and trying to stay awake in the tropics. It is hard. Your body needs the rest. Unless you caffeine yourself into jump starting. But, I don't drink Coffee except maybe two cups or so a week. Why? Caffeine affects me. I don't like any kind of stimulant that affects me at all. Green tea doesn't have any bad stimulation does it? But tea is powerful in general. It can be a laxative, a stimulant, a detox, a medicine, so much. Drink a lot of purified water is probably healthiest.

I wonder if Scottish folk know any 'aphrodisiac' tea. Lol. I am sure there are theories. I think avocados are aphrodisiacs. They contain Vitamin E in big quantities and to me tocopherol or Vitamin E stimulates the sex drive. I did not know this until a friend of mine told me to repair cuts and abrasions faster I should take a couple of Vitamin Es about 800 units every two hours. I did that for a week. To see if the cut would heal faster. It did. But it also stimulated the sex drive a lot. Lol. All foods and natural products have a function. I am sure hot tea in cold climates aids the digestive system and does many functions. What is a traditional 'high tea' Sg? How is it served and with what? Or is Scottish tea time different?

PRgirl.

[sgriobhadair]

Originally posted by PRgirl

I wonder if Scottish folk know any 'aphrodisiac' tea. Lol.

Not as far as we know. The only real aphrodisiac in Scotland is an away win for your home team. Sometimes two or three pints of heavy will do the trick, but more than that may undo the trick. Women are known to become frisky after two Babychams, or hearing unaccustomed endearments, such as 'darling,' 'dearest' or 'sexy.'

I am sure there are theories. I think avocados are aphrodisiacs. They contain Vitamin E in big quantities and to me tocopherol or Vitamin E stimulates the sex drive. I did not know this until a friend of mine told me to repair cuts and abrasions faster I should take a couple of Vitamin Es about 800 units every two hours. I did that for a week. To see if the cut would heal faster. It did. But it also stimulated the sex drive a lot. Lol.

I just rushed to the supermarket and back. My wife wants to know if I intend us to eat guacamole for a week.

What is a traditional 'high tea' Sg? How is it served and with what? Or is Scottish tea time different?

High tea is pretty much a fey English tradition. At around four in the afternoon English people of a certain class like to sit around the table and drink tea and eat dainties such as cucumber sandwiches, scones and jam and tiny dopey cakes. It's a refined, elegant affair totally devoid of the brio characteristic of their northern neighbors.

'Tea' in working class Scotland is another name for an early evening meal. It can consist of about anything, but it is always heartier than a mere tea party. The main meal for working Scots used to be 'dinner' which was eaten when higher classes are eating 'lunch.' A later, lighter meal before bed was called 'supper.' I haven't lived in Scotland for 40 years so I don't know what they do now.

Do you have a good recipe for guacamole?

[PRgirl]

Sg,
That is interesting. What are scones? Never heard of it except in some tea house and I never asked what they were. What are they exactly?

Mole is a Mesoamerican concept. Guaca comes from the word Aguacate in Spanish which comes from the Nahuatl (Aztec word for Avocado), which is Aguacatl. Tomato came from tomatl. The 'tl' pronunciations in the Nahuatl language was difficult in the Spanish language and so the Spaniards Hispanicized the native Nahuatl words. Such as Tomate, Aguacate, Chocolate. All foods from the Mesoamerican tradition.

Now enough about the history. Puerto Ricans don't have mole. Period. So no guacamole. That is Mexican. And as I have stated previously Mexico is Mexico and its own very 'unique' culture and doesn't represent Puerto Rico, Cuba, Venezuela and etc. Spanish influenced places. But, since I love Mexican culture per se, I will give you a fine Guacamole recipe. Remember sg, avocados are also fattening and high in caloric content compared to other foods. The big huge, sweet ones with smooth green skin and no bumpy black Hass type of avocados are the ones we eat in the Caribbean and in states like Florida. The bumpy California hass avocados lack the flavor of the big, beautiful tropical ones. They do. We don't mash our avocados. So see if you can get the big sweet, smooth ones instead of the little Hass ones. And take lots of Vitamin E and eat the guacamole for a week and have fun with la Senora!! Lol.

Guacamole

4 big green avocados (smooth skinned and ripe and Florida types) to know if they are ready for eating and ripe, they should be yielding to the touch but not mushy. Mushy is bad. It is overly ripe and should be thrown out. Just a little finger pressure and if it leaves a little dent it is fine. If you can't feel any yielding there, it is NOT RIPE and don't eat it.

Small red onion or white onion (whatever you prefer) chopped fine.

2 ripe tomatos small. Diced

Some cilantro about half a cup of finely minced cilantro

Some garlic powder to taste

Some sea salt

Some olive oil about one or two tablespoons (extra virgin is best)

Some 2-3 big juicy limes and squeeze the juice out and get the seeds out

1-2 small jalapenos seeded and cored and finely diced.

Mash the ripe avocados first with a fork and the lime juice. Add olive oil and tomatos, cilantro, jalapeno, onions and garlic powder. You can go for smooth or chunky whatever texture you want. You either stop mashing when it is chunky and eat it that way. My husband likes it that way. Or you keep going and mashing for a smoother and more dippable texture. I and my mother like it that way. It is good stuff. Guacamole. And please don't try the Laura Bush Guacamole. She has yellow lemon juice instead of limes and is plainer and boring version. Another mistake of the Republicans. Lol.

And is that all it takes Sg, to get the Scottish people into that? Call them 'darling' and so on? HAHAHA. With Puerto Ricans the men got to tell us how gorgeous we are, and get down on bended knee and sing boleros. And they had better be romantic. Lol. At least mine is. And I really like that. And some high doses of Vitamin E is good too!

What fun to read your social things Sg. I had some fun today.

[sgriobhadair]

Originally posted by PRgirl
Sg,
That is interesting. What are scones? Never heard of it except in some tea house and I never asked what they were. What are they exactly?

Mole is a Mesoamerican concept. Guaca comes from the word Aguacate in Spanish which comes from the Nahuatl (Aztec word for Avocado), which is Aguacatl. Tomato came from tomatl. The 'tl' pronunciations in the Nahuatl language was difficult in the Spanish language and so the Spaniards Hispanicized the native Nahuatl words. Such as Tomate, Aguacate, Chocolate. All foods from the Mesoamerican tradition.

A scone is a thick, soft biscuit made with flour, cream and eggs, either baked in an oven or on a girdle (a flat iron plate over a fire.) It's eaten with butter and jam. The posh English effect to pronounce it in a way that rhymes with 'tone' but of course it should rhyme with John.

The story about the aphrodisiac powers of avocados goes back further than the Conquest. The Nahuatl word 'ahuacatl' means 'testicle!' The Spaniards thought it sounded like 'avocado' (judge). I'll bet you knew that.

La Senora and I will try out your recipe this weekend and give you a report (the non-embarrassing bits, anyway.)

[victorrey]

Rice pudding has always been a comfort food for me but I can never seem to find a good recipie for home and have to buy it all the time. Anybody have a really good rice pudding recipie for me?

[sillent_whispers1]

ohhhhhhhhh yummy i love rice puddings This is how i cook mine.

2 cups of rice (rinsed under running cold water)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup sultanas or raisins
3 1/2 cups of cold milk
2 egg (beaten with a little milk)

Put rice into a deep dish ( i use a deep casserole bowl)
mix sugar, sultana's and milk together and pour over rice.
lastly drizzle egg mixture over the top

Bake in oven at 145 degrees until cooked

I like to cook this slowly as it becomes more creamier


Cheers