Pages

Wednesday, October 3, 2007

Comfort food

Mr.Q has this idea in his head that he needs to take me to Ireland someday. Now, I wouldn't argue if someone handed me a ticket! But if I were planning my dream trip, it would be to Italy. He has this romantic notion of me wandering the Irish moors in a wool shawl, singing mournfully in Gaelic. I have a romantic notion of myself wandering through the sunny Tuscan hills, gesticulating wildly as I practice my newly-acquired Italian vocabulary.

This upsets his preconceptions of me. His regular argument, offered pleadingly and often: "But you like potatoes!"

Well, yes. Yes, I do. I also like tomatoes and basil and garlic and pasta and cheese and olives and bread and margherita pizzas and wine and gelato and espresso and....(Did I mention the cheese?)

However. I have a shameful little secret that I need to confess. Please don't tell him! But on a cold, wet night, sometimes the best prescription for pre-winter blahs is a big bowl of boiled, buttered potatoes for supper. Maybe with a little (!HAH!) grated cheese on top. Washed down with a bottle of Strongbow. (Yes, I know it's English, not Irish, but once you're all the way over there, why not visit?)

But really. You must be able to get potatoes in Italy. Can't you?

5 comments:

Rabbitch said...

You could always take potatoes with you.

But I'm pretty sure they have them there. There's gnocci, after all.

Another Joan said...

Definitely gnocchi and, if you have any high-school French, Italian may be easier than Gaelic. Buona fortuna with the travel dreams!

Anonymous said...

ohhhhhh boiled buttered potatoes, now that's comfort food! Seems to me if your in Ireland, why not do Italy too? Thinking both is a better answer then one or the other. And oh yea baby..they got the spuds!

Sarah, Grand-Dutchess of Serendipity said...

If you dont want your little sister finding some way to tag along on your romantic getaway then you better go Italy. If it's Ireland, I'm coming. Warn him.

Anonymous said...

you haven't lived until you've had pickled onions, hearty bread, strong english cheddar, and a Guiness. Its called a "Plowman's Lunch." but buttery potatoes would be tasty right about now...