Food Memories

My husband and I went to dinner a few nights ago at Joe’s Crab Shack. First time we’ve ever tried the place, and though it was pricey, it was pretty darn good. We both ordered boils — mine with snow crab legs, clams, corn and red potatoes, his with lobster tails, shrimp, clams, etc. I turned down the bib the waiter offered, but I probably shouldn’t have, because I darn near drooled over the red potatoes. Yumm!

When we lived in North Carolina, we used to go to a little place in Swansboro on the White Oak River. It was nothing fancy — a little squat building with a big deck off the back and one side extending over the water. The deck furniture was cheap plastic, the tablecloths were paper, and the napkins were paper towels. We always sat outside and ordered seafood boils there, too. That was where I was introduced to Old Bay seasoning (which somehow got left off my list of staples — we’re never without it!). There was something incredibly comfortable about eating great seafood with a breeze coming off the river carrying the scent of the ocean. Wow, I miss that.

The moving we did with Bob’s career introduced me to lots of new food. I came from a meat-and-potatoes family. Spaghetti was about as exotic as we got growing up. I learned to love Greek food and seafood in Charleston, SC. I tolerated not being able to buy fresh shrimp without the heads still attached in Mobile, AL. I fell in love with great Mexican food in San Diego, and did the same with vinegar-based and mustard barbecue sauces in Augusta, GA.

True story: the first time we had barbecue at a place called Bobby’s not far from Augusta, I asked where the sauce was. The waitress pointed to two squeeze bottles: one held clear thin liquid, the other thick yellowish sauce. “But where’s the barbecue sauce?” I asked, and she laughed. “We don’t serve that ketchup stuff around here.” Another restaurant did have the ketchup stuff, but when the waitress there saw me using it, she commented, “You aren’t from around here, are you?”

I got a better education in Greek food in Augusta, and had my first sushi there, too. Bob’s loved it for years, but I had the typical “You want me to eat raw fish???” reaction. For the record, about the only raw fish I eat is tuna; everything else in my favorite sushi dishes is cooked. We had a wonderful sushi place in Jacksonville, NC. We were such regular customers that the chef would fix special dishes for us. One time he wouldn’t tell me what it was until I’d taken a bite (yeah, I know how many of you would never do that, but you would have missed a great food). Turned out, it was fried shrimp heads. Also turned out, it tasted darn familiar. I’m convinced I’d had it before without ever finding out what it was.

Back here in Tulsa, I’ve been introduced to Vietnamese food at Mekong Delta and Thai at Lanna Thai. I told a friend I wanted to go to Thailand; her in-laws had just returned and shown her tons of pictures, so she asked, “What do you want to see?” “The restaurants,” I replied. I want to eat my way through both countries. And drink Thai tea all the way. It’s a strong, sweet tea topped with evaporated milk or condensed milk. I tried making it at home, until our waitress told me you have to use Thai tea leaves. No other tea will turn out a good one. Next time I’m in the area of the Asian market she recommended, I’ll buy some and give it a shot.

I also love Cajun food. And African (unfortunately, the African/Caribbean place we went to went out of business). I’ve been dipping my toe (my tongue?) into Indian foods. I’ve tried a few Salvadoran dishes and am looking forward to more, and Jewish and German. Hardly anyone in my family will let me pick a restaurant when we go out — are my tastes too adventuresome or theirs too American? Depends on who you ask.

It’s all food. And pretty much it’s all good.