TAKE TWO SQUIRRELS and CALL ME IN THE MORNING......

"The smells of slow cooking spread around the house, and impart a unique warmth matched only by the flavour of the food.."

                                                                        -Yotam Ottolenghi

   When I was growing up, Mr. and Mrs. Bliss lived across the street. They loved the holidays.  At Halloween it was candy apples and fudge . At Christmas it was leftover Halloween fudge. At Easter it was  more leftover fudge. 

After Christmas we would have them over, for Shepherd’s Pie or Bubble and Squeak ( cabbage and potatoes or other veggies, smooshed into a fry pan)

 Then Mr. and Mrs. Bliss would return the favour.

One year it was Pig Poke Stew and French bread. Or Creamed Chip Beef with a wibbly, wobbly seven layered Jelly salad.

Last year they served a Depression meal of Peanut Butter Stuffed Onions, dandelion Salad and something called Garbage Plate: macaroni salad, with fries, chili, onions, mustard and ketchup.

But this year, they promised to make a treat.

The day of  our dinner, Mr. Bliss  tucked a large white napkin under his chin. He placed  a plate of fudge near me.  “That’s for dessert” he laughed.  I poked at the fudge. It was hard as a rock.

Mrs. Bliss  came  in with a huge bowl of something that seethed and burbled.

A stew . “Appalachian Stew” she said in a merry voice. “The perfect time of year for it. ”

Mr. Bliss plopped a huge helping in our bowls. “Eat up!” he said. “And you can take the leftovers home with you!

A stew with Veggies and Lima beans. I hated lima beans, so I pushed them out of the way and lined them up on the rim of the bowl. And I hated stew.

“I always use fresh ingredients. Isn’t that right, dear?” Mrs. Bliss leaned over to her husband.  “Quite. Quite” he slurped.

My mother asked for the recipe. That was  her first mistake.  Mrs. Bliss handed her a neatly penned copy .”I knew you’d ask, she said, so here you are.” That was the second mistake. My mother read the ingredients….

“Take two squirrels, onion, corn, Lima beans, pork, potatoes, pepper tomatoes. Fry up the squirrels in a half pound of butter…..cook for three hours till…..”, My mother stopped reading.

Mr. and Mrs. Bliss burst out in laughter. “Well, of course  I didn’t use REAL squirrels……”

“Not this time, “ said Mr. Bliss.”Appalachian stew comes from Kentucky! Calls for young squirrels. That’s how we used to make it .Or use raccoons……”

“Oh yes, raccoons make a wonderful stew,” said Mrs. Bliss. “But squirrels are SO divine. I usually get them at the butcher’s over on fourth street.  And you don't have to clean all the fleas and little crawly things off of them.“

"Butcher does it for you..." said Mr. Bliss

My mother visibly relaxed. So did I. I popped a prehistoric piece of fudge in my mouth.

“So I used RABBIT instead,” bubbled Mrs. Bliss.”Soft ears, soft paws..”

“Makes for good eating.” Mr. Bliss burped.

Needless to say there were no more dinners after that.  We resorted to tea and scones and mincemeat tarts. Something safe. Something without paws…..

 

 Photographs 2022