soup for my father

-
Fish Soup
I'm thinking about my father today, partly because it's the anniversary of his passing, partly because I'll be attending a service for a friend's father this weekend. Keeping memories alive has come up in a conversation a number of times this week, with friends noting how reminders of loved ones are still close at hand.

One example happened over Easter weekend, when Amy and I had a Mexican lunch buffet in Detroit. We went to Armando's, whose spread mixes staples of the cuisine with oddball items like a concoction of fried eggs, saltfish and tomato sauce. One of Dad's favourite items is usually available on weekends, a dish we have never asked the official name of and refer to simply as "fish soup".

One of the elements Dad loved about this soup was that the content were never quite the same. Usually the broth is thin and clear, though you can see this Easter's version was the opposite. Types of fish, shrimp and vegetables varied. The only disappointment came when we didn't see a tray on the steam table. We eventually figured out the soup usually appeared on the weekend, which was convenient for whenever I came down for a visit after I moved away.

Liking the fish soup runs mainly among the males in the family. Besides Dad and I, at least one uncle sings its praises. While Mom won't touch it, Whenever Mexican food comes up in conversation she will always chime in on how much Dad loved it. - JB

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

past pieces of toronto: knob hill farms

-
Image
From November 2011 through July 2012 I wrote the "Past Pieces of Toronto" column for OpenFile , which explored elements of the city which no longer exist. I've republished all but two of those pieces on this website.  Here's the first of the final pair, both of which provided good lessons for future writing. Prepare yourself for a lengthy preamble.
Read more

past pieces of toronto: the mynah bird

-
Image
From November 2011 through July 2012 I wrote the "Past Pieces of Toronto" column for OpenFile, which explored elements of the city which no longer exist. The following was originally posted on May 20, 2012. Advertisements, (left) the Toronto Star , April 22, 1966 (right) the Globe and Mail , July 26, 1967. In an August 1967 article, the Globe and Mail ’s Blaik Kirby set the scene for anyone curious about entering one of Yorkville’s oddest coffee houses. “The Mynah Bird is a fetid room in a former Victorian home, with a tiny triangular stage behind bars in one corner. There are two other rooms in reserve if needed. You enter through a hallway, passing the piranha and the caged mynah bird after which the place is named. Hanging rushes conceal the high ceiling. The walls are red flecked wallpaper. The lights are low, with candles on each table. One of the two friendly go-go girls ushers you to a seat, and soon reappears on the stage. She is slightly plump, with lo
Read more

the smiling men of pasadena 2: the eternal smile of "uncle bill" haas

-
Image
The December 31, 1920 edition of the Pasadena Post spotlighted (mostly) grinning photos of the paper's staff and local businessmen. Given my penchant for going down research rabbit holes related to anything quirky I stumble upon, this series will look at some of the stories behind the smiling faces.  Pasadena Post, December 31, 1920 . "That ponderous body of his simply shakes." There's descriptive language you just don't see any more.  From the accounts I've found, it seems William A. Haas was a classic old-time entertainment PR man, full of stories and tall tales to go along with his eternal smile. When he died in 1941, his obituary included many claims that might not hold up under scrutiny. He unsuccessfully ran for coroner (possibly in Iowa) against future president William Howard Taft. He suggested that William McKinley be promoted as the “Advance Agent of Prosperity” during the 1896 presidential campaign. He planted the idea of motion pictures in Thomas E
Read more