Late to the Pâté

This week's post is a little different. It's not centered on food, but it's related to the trip to St. John's that I talked about recently in "Toutons." I wrote it when I returned from that trip; my mom has confirmed that we went in 2004, so that means nearly 17 years ago! Please enjoy. Once upon a time, there was a girl named Amy, and Amy loved lighthouses.... http://latetothepate.ca/2021/01/26/lighthouse/

I was making something new and exciting the other day, crab and corn chowder with flatbread, and it got me thinking of the one time (so far) that I visited St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. I was there in the mid-2000s on a holiday with my parents, and we had all kinds of food-and-drink-related adventures, including cod tongues and scrunchions and getting Screeched In.* But the memory that’s remained clearest to me is the discovery of toutons.... http://latetothepate.ca/2021/01/21/toutons/

Here's another little pâté favour for those of you who were intrigued by my post about the chapulines. This is a great way to enjoy them: in a tortilla with cheese!

It’s very significant that I’ve started this blog because recently, for the first time in my life, I dreamed that I was getting a tattoo. And it was a food-related tattoo! So this whole idea of food and writing is obviously being inscribed in me in deeply profound ways. You should probably know that I don’t have any tattoos, nor do I want any, nor have I ever wanted any.... http://latetothepate.ca/2020/11/16/tattoo/

On November 2nd, my partner and I, along with many millions of Mexican people all over the world, celebrated Día de Muertos, The Day of the Dead. It’s a time to remember all of our loved ones who’ve died, but not only to remember--it’s believed that on this special day, they come home for a visit! So we welcome them, honour them, and celebrate their lasting presence in our minds and hearts.... http://latetothepate.ca/2020/11/11/dia-de-muertos/

Welcome to the new year, everyone! Let’s begin with an exciting, exotic adventure to symbolize our being able to resume exciting, exotic adventures this year. Let’s return to Mexico, to a little town called Amatlán, which is about an hour’s drive from Mexico City and lies nestled among forest and between mountains. My partner and I were sitting on the verandah, enjoying fresh air and listening to the happy tweetling of the birds, when there was a knock at the gate.... http://latetothepate.ca/2021/01/10/chapulines/

I really didn’t start cooking until I was in my 30s because until then, other people cooked or I ate out. It all started when I lived alone for the first time. For the first little while, I relied heavily on processed food. Frozen dinners and such. I never cooked meat because I was afraid of undercooking it and getting sick. [ 541 more words ] http://latetothepate.ca/2020/11/02/my-first-specialty/

I can think of nothing more perfectly human than to eat together. When we feed others, we say, I care for you. I nourish and nurture you. And when we eat with others, we say, I care for you. I have a relationship with you. And you do have a relationship, even if you’re eating with strangers, even if it’s just for the duration of that meal.... http://latetothepate.ca//12/19/snapshots-of-a-life-christ/

Life’s richness doesn’t come from resting in the familiar. It comes from trying new things, which, if one is fortunate, leads to learning and growing. A great example of this in my life can be seen in something one might not expect: my experience with salsa. When I was growing up, salsa was not one of my family’s regular condiments. It was something we had on a special occasion when eating out. [ 880 more words ] http://latetothepate.ca/2020/10/26/salsa/

Before I get to the main part of today’s post, I’d like to say that while this blog will include recipes and cooking adventures, I’m also interested in telling broader stories about memories, emotions, curiosity, community, learning and healing, all grown from a seed related somehow to food. This is one of those stories. I had the best apple I’ve ever had in my life on April 23, 2019. [ 416 more words ] http://latetothepate.ca/2020/10/20/the-best-apple/

In my post about Día de Muertos and baking pan de muerto, I referred briefly to my having made a batch of cookies here and there. Upon reading that, a friend reminded me of one particular cookie-baking adventure, which I want to write about now because it’s fresh in my mind, it’s a wonderful story, and it’s the perfect season for it.... http://latetothepate.ca///the-night-of-a-thousand-cookies/

Unforeseen circumstances prevented a regular post this week, but I still have a small treat for you, a little "pâté favour," if you will. Now that it’s December, I want to show you my amazing breakfast last Christmas morning: tamales! Perfectly fitting for the occasion: perfect little gifts of cheese and chiles, wrapped in masa (a corn-based dough) and steamed in corn husks. This was in Mexico, of course, and a merry morning it was, indeed!

People often say that first impressions are correct, and I tend to agree. I’m the type of person who gets a very strong feeling about something when I first encounter it, and that feeling usually turns out to be accurate. However, I’m also the type of person who’s generally more comfortable with fluidity than fixity, including with first impressions. Take Frank, for example.... http://latetothepate.ca/2020/11/25/first-impressions/