Tuesday, May 3, 2016

It's About the Sausage

Nürnberger Rostbratwürste mit Sauerkraut (Eviyani Lubis Photo - Source)
No, this has not become a food blog. (No doubt that term is probably copyrighted by someone, I suppose one can string any random words together, capitalize the first letter of each word and BANG, somebody has probably copyrighted that. So I just wrote it as "a food blog." It's just plain English people. Move along, nothing to see here...)



Ahem, just thought I'd share that...

Anyhoo.


Nope, not a food blog, pay no attention to the title or the opening photo, that's purely coincidence. Actually it's not coincidence but after Juvat's post yesterday I don't think I will ever eat again. Ever.

Or for at least an hour after reading our junior co-blogger's latest post. (He's junior because he joined up after Tuna. Hell, in real life Juvat outranks both Tuna and I. But here, I'm the bull goose loony in charge. At least as long as The Missus Herself lets me...)

Now where was I? Oh yeah, I'm not really here to talk about food today. Though I could talk about food for hours. I mean, anyone who has seen me would guess that I like my victuals. I am in no immediate danger of starving and...

What's that? What about Juvat's post? Oh, you actually watched that video? Dear Lord, what is wrong with you? Didn't you read the preceding text? I mean what do you need, a great big sign that says


WARNING!

No, that wouldn't work? Ah, well.

Actually I really thought about taking that video out and inserting a link to it. But the heavy hand of censorship has no place between colleagues. At least it shouldn't. Even if I am the bull goose loony in charge. Besides which I know there are those of you who would chase the link and perhaps accidentally blunder into that video. I thought it best to leave it in place. Even though I find myself quickly scrolling past it so I don't look. I mean, I've been in the Philippines and...

No, I didn't try it. Never will, they can't print enough money to get me to try that.

Yuck. No, no thank you.

With that being said, I have been overseas and have partaken of the local cuisine in exotic and foreign places. I will not be covering that today. There are no videos of tentacles in sauce or...

Sorry.

Anyhoo.

As to the title of the post and the corresponding photo. In German, "it's about the sausage" translates literally to "es geht um die Wurst." But no, it doesn't mean that at all to a German. In German that is a figure of speech for "it's now or never," or "it's crunch time." No really, you can read about that here. What, did you think I just made that up?

Anyhoo.

Language is something I enjoy almost as much as food. I have fancied myself as a bit of a linguist over the years, I can speak a smattering of a number of different languages. Usually I pick up enough to get a beer and get my face slapped. Don't ask. It's not a pretty story.

Anyhoo. (I'm throwing a lot of diversions in here today so I can claim to be a diverse blog. Yes, I know that's not what it means.*) By the way, refrain from being clever in the comments with the content of the preceding paragraph. While I don't censor my colleagues here at The Chant I have been known to delete offensive comments. Except if Joe calls me a big stupid head. I'll allow that. Respect for one's elders, etc. etc.

As to language, Peter of The Bayou Renaissance Man had an excellent post about language the other day. I learned some things I did. Like why they talk "funny" in old movies. But the coolest bit was about Appalachian dialects. You should go read that, now.

Yes, we're done here. See you mañana.




(Do I like bratwurst and sauerkraut? Of course I do. Like you had to ask...)

* Apparently I really don't know what that means. Have you ever had one of those days where you use a word thinking it's another word only to wake up the next day and wonder just what the Hell you were thinking? Yeah, that was me, yesterday. Why on earth did I confuse digress and divert? Who knows? I sure as heck don't. But I digress...

There
I got it right that time.

26 comments:

  1. Forrestal was moored near Taranto Italy and a buddy and I ate a local restaurant. Small place, fresh seafood, and great variety. I did not get squeamish until the bowl of tentacles turned up. The were cut into smallish pieces and grilled. Turns out they were wonderful. After that eating the stuffed baby octopus was no big deal.
    Years pass. My wife and I are dining out and I see grilled octopus on the appetizer menu. I suggest we split one order and I get the look that says, "I am not an adventurous eater." I tell her I had grilled octopus years ago and it was great.
    The food arrives and she notices the suckers on the tentacles, a shadow of her internal horror begins to show in her face. I then advise her that the only problem she may have is that when you bite into the tentacles, sometimes the suction cups attach themselves firmly to the inside of the mouth, and you have to wedge them loose with a fork. I had spent enough time in law enforcement to master the perfect poker face and I did not break character. I held on for a few more seconds then cracked up laughing.
    She did try them, they were very good, more surprising, she did not take revenge.

    And the words, "Try this, it's not so hot," have always been followed on my part by "No."

    ReplyDelete
  2. At first I thought this being a military blog that this post was about the new US Navy recruiting slogan.

    Then I realized the post had simply gone from blog to wurst.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Those brats look tasty, but Badgers don't like sauerkraut. Or cabbage in any form, really. I suppose it's a carnivore thing, really.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wait a minute. I thought badgers were omnivores. No?

      So Wisconsin badgers are strictly carnivorous? How about cheese, do they eat cheese? (I know, I'm kinda picking on the cheese heads. No problemo, I like the Packers. And their fans.)

      Delete
    2. The American Badger, Taxadea Taxus, is a carnivore, while the European Badger, Meles Meles, is an omnivore. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_badger#Diet Badgers LOVE cheese, especially Colby.

      Delete
    3. Good to know.

      (Cheese is wonderful, in all its varieties. Even the smellier ones. DAMHIK.)

      Delete
  4. Yeah, being a retired O-5 and 5 bucks will get me a small but heavy on the ice, coffee at Starbucks.

    Not a food blog eh? Well, your opening picture made the decision on what's for dinner tonight.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hear ya on the first part.

      Your idea for dinner is brilliant. I love both components of that meal, separate they're excellent, together? Magnifico!

      Delete
  5. Here I thought that was breakfast sausage with some pretty funky looking hashbrowns - my bad. . .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, sauerkraut would be pretty funky for breakfast.

      Delete
  6. You can always blog about planes or food and you won't go wrong. And
    I agree with SCOTTtheBADGER, those brats look mighty tasty but not the
    sauerkraut. I know it sounds crazy but I love good kimche (you'll notice
    I said GOOD kimche, like they have in Korea)but cannot eat sauerkraut.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good kimchi is always better than sauerkraut.

      Delete
    2. Texas Kimchi is NOT good Kimchi!

      Delete
    3. You probably don't have the right connections. See if there is a Korean grocery store in your vicinity. Those are ubiquitous in some areas. (Like most major cities, I know Texas has a few of those.)

      Delete
    4. San Antonio is within Milk Distance. So is Austin. Both fulfill my monthly currency requirement to remind myself why I don't live in a big city. I prefer San Antonio to reset my currency. They just drive crazy there. Austin drives crazy with a unhealthy level of liberal stupidity thrown in. (Old dude with bandana and a long pony tail in a VW microbus driving at 20 mph under the speed limit, because Global Warming, Dood! Then speeds up to 5 over in the passing zones.) A pox on all of them.

      Besides SAT has a healthy military population, so a Korean Grocer is much more likely there.

      Delete
    5. A Google search of "korean grocery store in san antonio" revealed a number of fine prospects. Some of those listed are not strictly Korean (as is Japanese and Vietnamese) but a couple appear to be absolutely Korean. (Having "Seoul" in the name is a dead giveaway.)

      Delete
  7. At one time or another, almost all blogs resort to food as a topic because writing about weather gets really old.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Now, Now, Now, Sarge isn't THAT old. OH! You mean Writing about the WEATHER gets old!! My Bad!

      Delete
    2. And as Skip knows, sometimes we write about beer.

      Some of us...

      Delete
    3. Ah Juvat, always stirring the pot.

      (Yes, I know, someone has to.)

      Delete
  8. Read he blog. Read the comments. Still confused as to what is going on. Ah well, I'm easily confused.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Admittedly I was all over the place on this one.

      Delete
  9. My first squid came during an orphanage painting expedition on Sicily. Poor peoples food and it was divine. As were the spleen sammies. I was TAD to Bethesda for a while and found a great Korean grocery out on Wilson Point Road. After daily visits for a couple of weeks the owner asked if I had a Korean wife. Something really fine about learning to look beyond cultural differences and stereotypes and know for certain that all men are indeed created equal.

    ReplyDelete

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