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Category Archives: life in general

Comfort food

Definition of COMFORT FOOD

: food prepared in a traditional style having a usually nostalgic or sentimental appeal

Examples of COMFORT FOOD

  • Pot roast and fried chicken are my favorite comfort foods.
  • a restaurant that serves comfort food
You’ll note the examples.  They’re pretty standard USian fare.  You’ll note the definition.  It mentions nostalgia.

nos·tal·gia

noun
\nä-ˈstal-jə, nə- also nȯ-, nō-; nə-ˈstäl-\

Definition of NOSTALGIA

1 : the state of being homesick : homesickness
2 : a wistful or excessively sentimental yearning for return to or of some past period or irrecoverable condition; also : something that evokes nostalgia

Now, having these definitions, it seems pretty strange that I consider Persian and Ethiopian food to be within the realm of comfort food considering that I AM CHINESE and that I WAS RAISED IN THE US.  To be exact, I was raised in Southern California.  And that may explain some of this.  Lots of immigrants from different cultures flock to SoCal and I feel rather privileged to have been raised in an environment where there are so many different cultures.  There’s something special, seeing a little of where people come from.  However, I didn’t have any Iranian or Ethiopian friends growing up.  I certainly didn’t eat any of their food.  I did have some friends who hailed from Saudi Arabia and their mother introduced me to some of their cuisine, which is similar to Persian cuisine, but I didn’t eat it regularly.  So, how did I end up adopting some of their cuisine as something I crave when going through some rough times?  No idea.

But this

(Ethiopian cuisine)

is delicious.

So is this.

(This was from a Lebonese place, which is similar to Persian cuisine. I actually like the cuisine from that whole area.)

But don’t get me wrong, I also really like

Left to right, top to bottom:

  • stuffed fudge cupcakes
  • flavorful burritos of all varieties (this one is from Wahoo’s)
  • cheeseburger with whole grilled onion and chopped chilis with animal fries (In-n-Out)
  • happy pho…and unhappy pho too…and lots of different types of Asian food, but I could only find a picture of happy pho (a local pho shop whose name I’ve forgotten)
  • pizza of all types (this one is from Neo in DFW)
  • eggs in a basket…with soy sauce, because I’m pretty sure there’s a rule about only being allowed soy sauce with fried eggs

Now, why did I put up all these pictures of food that I find comforting?  I’m not particularly hungry.  I suppose this is another anger management technique?  Only, this one can make you pretty fat and more angry.  Probably better only follow this advice sparingly.  It is delicious though.

Mt. Fuji: Japan’s highest mountain

I thought I might as well continue “Posts Inspired by AIM Conversations!”  (Please insert the lightning and thunder yourselves).

So, my friend has been looking through these old American Express appointment books as part of her job.  These appointment books are full of interesting quotes and factoids.  That’s right, factoids and not facts.

fac·toid

noun \ˈfak-ˌtȯid\

1 : an invented fact believed to be true because it appears in print
2 : a briefly stated and usually trivial fact
From what my friend has shared with me, I gather that some of these factoids are completely off the wall, some of them are rather mundane, and others…well, they’re just strange and you can’t verify them.  I don’t know why they’d be in an appointment book.  But whatever.  Here’s one of them that immediately sparked my imagination.  In fact, I think the conversation itself is good enough that I’ll let it stand on its own.  Maybe I’ll put in a brief explanation here and there when it gets really obscure.

[11:05:14] cherriebb515: “Mount Fuji, Japan’s highest mountain, has for many centuries been a favorite suicide spot for thwarted lovers.”
[11:06:03] Moosterkey: THWARTED!
[11:06:19] cherriebb515: So…
[11:06:27] cherriebb515: I haven’t noticed anyone committing suicide on Mt. Fuji.
[11:06:40] cherriebb515: I’m not sure how anyone could commit suicide on Mt. Fuji.
[11:06:42] cherriebb515: He’s so small.

Note: Mt. Fuji is also a plush cell phone charm, although recently relegated to bag bling duty.  He looks like this:

Mt. Fuji was in a badge holder when I took the picture, but you get the idea.

Anyway, continuing…

[11:07:55] Moosterkey: Alas! My beloved and I are estranged! My love goes quite unrequited! Quickly! I shall go up to yon mountain! Yon mountain, there! And I shall throw myself from its steep precipice and rid myself of this life that is indeed, quite unbearable to me!
[11:07:59] Moosterkey: That is what they say.
[11:08:00] Moosterkey: All of them.
[11:08:19] Moosterkey: With the back of their right hand upon their brow.
[11:08:27] cherriebb515: hahahahaha
[11:08:31] Moosterkey: At the foot of the mountain.
[11:08:38] Moosterkey: And then they hurry to the peak.
[11:08:43] Moosterkey: And then hurl themselves off.
[11:08:57] Moosterkey: I keep wanted to say that they hurl themselves off the battlements, but I don’t think Mt Fuji has any.
[11:09:10] cherriebb515: hahahahaha
[11:09:23] Moosterkey: Oh, I forgot to say that they make that speech in a breathy kind of voice.

What?  It amused me.  Also, just out of curiosity, does no one else think like this?  Because…I think this is a perfectly normal thing to think upon reading “Mount Fuji, Japan’s highest mountain, has for many centuries been a favorite suicide spot for thwarted lovers.”