A couple of weeks ago, in an attempt to throw a jolt of romance into our increasingly busy lives, I decided to cook a romantic dinner for my husband. Seafood is always a fan favorite in our household, so I decided on steamed mussels with white wine. I like to call it Moules au Vin Blanc, which is entirely made up and somewhat grammatically correct. On our honeymoon in Quebec, I had the best meal of my life, consisting of unlimited (!) mussels for the bargain basement price of $14.95 (Canadian, no less!). We went to a fantastic small restaurant specializing in seafood, and each bowl of mussels came in a different flavor, with beer and mustard being my favorite. I have such happy memories of that evening, so I made an attempt to recreate it.
Step 1: Procure ingredients from grocery store. I find everything I need, and march confidently up to the seafood counter. I scan the offerings: Salmon, tilapia, clams galore, oysters...not a single mussel in site. Surely they must have some in the back? We're talking mussels here! Far less glamorous than the oyster, for certain. So I ask the friendly-looking man behind the counter if they have any mussels:
Author's note: In this exchange, the use of an ellipsis (...) indicates an extraordinarily long pause between spoken words.
Me: Excuse me, sir? Do you have any mussels?
Seafood guy: Muss-ullls? No m-ayyyy-am...Aye only have claaaaaaams...and OY-stahs...
One of the perils of living in a non-coastal area, I suppose. The guy's thick southern accent truly made my day, however.
October 2, 2009
October 1, 2009
A Fresh Start
Welcome to the new home for my humble little blog. As much as I loved writing at Chic Lit, I no longer felt that the title and atmosphere fit my new focus on adjusting to life as a Southerner. So, here we are!
I will have some interesting observations to share early next week, after I return from a visit to an even more southern city: Atlanta. It's been years and years since I've been further south than Columbia, SC, and even longer since I've been in Atlanta. I'm looking forward to noticing any differences between two notable southern cities.
On the home front, fall is officially in the air here in Charlotte. Well, aside from last week's high-80s heatwave. It's been downright chilly in the mornings and I love walking into work and inhaling that crisp, clear air. Fall in North Carolina is entirely different from the Northeast, but I've come to enjoy it. Notably, fall begins later and lasts longer. Last year, my first fall in the South, I mourned the lack of foliage during September and October, and the warmer temperatures. I soon came to realize, however, that this meant a beautiful leafy display in November, along with cooler, yet still warmish, temperatures clear through to December. Fall may have a different feel here, but it means I get to enjoy my favorite season for longer, which is a true joy.
Last weekend I drove up to central Pennsylvania to visit some friends, and it was wonderful to see the changing leaves and feel the cooler temperatures. Until a blast of 40-degree wind hit me as I walked outside in my perfectly-Carolina-weather-appropriate t-shirt. As the heavens opened up and dumped several gallons of frigid water onto us, I asked my husband, "Why do we want to move back North someday, again?"
The truth is, I've gotten spoiled by North Carolina. I never thought I would be THAT person. You know, the Northerner who layers on five fleeces and shivers the whole time while in 50-degree weather out West. But I've come to appreciate the weather here for what it is, and not as a comparison to where I grew up. It improves the quality of your life so dramatically, and I've gotten a bit too comfortable with that.
I wonder how warm it will be in Atlanta this weekend...
I will have some interesting observations to share early next week, after I return from a visit to an even more southern city: Atlanta. It's been years and years since I've been further south than Columbia, SC, and even longer since I've been in Atlanta. I'm looking forward to noticing any differences between two notable southern cities.
On the home front, fall is officially in the air here in Charlotte. Well, aside from last week's high-80s heatwave. It's been downright chilly in the mornings and I love walking into work and inhaling that crisp, clear air. Fall in North Carolina is entirely different from the Northeast, but I've come to enjoy it. Notably, fall begins later and lasts longer. Last year, my first fall in the South, I mourned the lack of foliage during September and October, and the warmer temperatures. I soon came to realize, however, that this meant a beautiful leafy display in November, along with cooler, yet still warmish, temperatures clear through to December. Fall may have a different feel here, but it means I get to enjoy my favorite season for longer, which is a true joy.
Last weekend I drove up to central Pennsylvania to visit some friends, and it was wonderful to see the changing leaves and feel the cooler temperatures. Until a blast of 40-degree wind hit me as I walked outside in my perfectly-Carolina-weather-appropriate t-shirt. As the heavens opened up and dumped several gallons of frigid water onto us, I asked my husband, "Why do we want to move back North someday, again?"
The truth is, I've gotten spoiled by North Carolina. I never thought I would be THAT person. You know, the Northerner who layers on five fleeces and shivers the whole time while in 50-degree weather out West. But I've come to appreciate the weather here for what it is, and not as a comparison to where I grew up. It improves the quality of your life so dramatically, and I've gotten a bit too comfortable with that.
I wonder how warm it will be in Atlanta this weekend...
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