This column was created for hip, young hipsters, as I am sure you have noticed.
However, we do hear some older people say that they are retiring.
Duke Rivet is a Baton Rouge man like this.
“Now that I’m retired, people often ask me what I do. I always respond that I practice the 3 Ps religiously — Piddle, Putter and Procrastinate — which I have down to a science.
“But, I recently came across an Italian phrase that has a lovely ring to it.
“From now on, when asked about retirement, I’m going to say I’m indulging in the ‘dolce far niente’ — the ‘sweetness of doing nothing.’
Jackie Gleason loved to tell us, “How sweet it was!”
Costs are relative
Bob Hannan of Marrero makes an important point about his contributions to the “cheap food stories”.
Talking of low-cost food, I was employed at W.T. Harvey, summer 1968: Grant store
For 99 cents, you can get all of the fried chicken that was available at the luncheonette, Monday to Thursday. Friday’s deal was all you could eat fried shrimp for just $1.29
“All things are relative — I was only making $1.25 an hour.”
Mystery dish
In the Tuesday column I ran an account of a Louisiana-style crab boil mystifying folks in the Florida panhandle back in the ’60s.
We have a slightly more recent Gulf Coast culinary event.
My son-in-law Boyce and Tammy Smith live in Long Beach (Mississippi) and bring a little bit of Louisiana to this part of the coast.
Boyce was once asked by a charity to make jambalaya.
According to him, the experience helped him see how many people live down there from other areas of the country.
They’d look at the pan of sausage jambalaya with chicken, and ask each other:
It is possible to get the same thing without rice. It is possible to make it without chicken. What about sausage? Does it have any heat? Do you serve it as a side dish or main course? Are you able to make it vegan? Do you call it gumbo or jumbo? This gumbo is supposed to be eaten over rice. Where’s the rice?
And so on…
Translated from rough
Learn more about dining out abroad
Ned Jewett of Baton Rouge says that “Many years back in Paris, the menu featured ‘Charcuterie aux garnishee’.”
The dish was described as “a board of meats,” and I chose to order it.
Imagine my surprise when I saw the platter arrived with giant hot dogs and sauerkraut.
You probably got the right hot dog if it was pork.
Artist for the body
John Bliss Camp states, “Read carefully your Monday references to tattoos.
Dallas Brewer (my grandson) is well-known for creating body art. There are two parlors for him in Virginia.
He has had his work featured in Tattoo Magazine. (I am sure that you are a subscriber). At carnivals, he was known as “the tattooed guy”.
“I haven’t allowed him to make any improvements on my body through his art. It is beautiful, if you like it.”
Showing your…
Rick Marshall of Baton Rouge says that he searched in a mall department store for jeans and found none.
“I made sure I was not in that big and tall area, then after trying everything I found I left the store and entered into the mall.
“I saw young men in their underwear walking about with their pants down. This is how I realized the store’s marketing strategy.”
Bad news
Kirk Guidry of Baton Rouge says that there are two meanings to words:
Bad means not meeting acceptable standards.
“And these days, ‘bad’ can also mean ‘good’ and ‘great.
“Example: ‘Smiley’s column is bad.’ Choose your choice
(Let’s don’t go there, Kirk…)
