The Daily Thought - The 24th!

[cheetah]

Congratulations Scorpion!

My daily thought:

There's frost all over the upper branches of the trees (or there was this morning, at any rate). It's really nice; I like seeing it glitter in the sunlight. Which we're getting more of, but not enough to make the snow really melt. We've gotten some sublimation, from the looks of things, and the sidewalks get warm enough to melt the snow on them (the salt helps).

Wondering if gardening will be different this spring, given the sustained cold--and all the melting snow in the spring. I suspect more plants than normal will have been lost this winter--and, of course, things will be a lot damper.

[Kisota]

We got a couple inches of snow the night before last, which made my run more challenging than usual (still saw the pair of coyotes, though). But it already has largely melted! Doesn’t last long. This winter has sure been dry here. I wish I could swap this winter’s weather with last... Last year I was working a job all winter that required me to drive and to be out in the snow doing tasks, and it snowed SO MUCH. This year I’ve been able to stay in more and would really relish the pretty snow, but we’ve hardly had any.

[Vintage]

Speaking of snow...I've had enough. Happy to see it melting finally (though it's always pretty when it first falls...and we're most likely getting more at some point).

Daily thought:
I'm hoping my car last a little while longer...ideally into late spring/summer, or when I have the funds for a new one.

[cheetah]

About how thick did the snow get last year, Kiso?

[Kerguelen]

Oh my god, I love MSG.

[Coyote Jones]

I was shocked the other day to find out that several of my immediate relatives enjoy surströmming. Pickled herring. (Google it to find out why this disturbed me if you're not familiar with it.) "The smell never bothered me." I asked if it tasted fishy. "It doesn't taste fishy at all. It's salty. You have it on crackers."

As if it's no big deal.

Ironically, my mother was horrified that I've eaten spiced crickets. "I lived in Africa, but I didn't eat the BUGS!"

Maybe I should give surströmming a try? It was always on a list of foods I'd never touch even on a dare.

[Savage]

I like surstrommimg, but it's a sharp mustardy seasoning for potatoes, not an entree. I also enjoy entomophagy.

[Kisota]

About how thick did the snow get last year, Kiso?

Probably a good 6+ inches at times. Mostly we had several really big storms with snow that actually stuck around. This year it’s just been a few little squalls of snow and then most of it’s gone the next day.

Of course, now I’ve probably jinxed it. And I’m commuting again, so now the snow would be a great inconvenience.

Surströmming! I actually have a relevant story. I was supposed to try some a few weeks ago, from a can I’d previously sent my friend.

Unfortunately, the can had wildly expanded - bad sign. Means the fermentation has, uh... continued. Apparently you’re supposed to refrigerate the cans?? Who would have expected that? But he told me it had actually arrived like that, so... bummer. We decided to see what was up anyway. We even got flat bread and Greek yogurt, red onions and boiled potatoes to make the wrap / sandwich that is the traditional and recommended way to eat it.

We went outside with a bucket to open the can under water (also recommended - they are pressurized and the fermented fish juice squirts a bit). Ours did not “squirt a bit.” It violently spat like a firehose straight into my buddy’s face. I got it on video too. I had to apologize for laughing for two minutes straight.

When we finally got the can open, we found nothing but pink, sludgy goo and a few strings of glop around the sad remains of splintery fish bones. Nothing to eat, everything had fermented away. The smell was VERY strange - strong and funky, a little tar-like, a little sour-fermented... repulsive and compelling all at once. I don’t know if ours smelled how it’s supposed to, though, considering it had over-fermented!

There was no getting the smell away, either. My friend took a shower immediately but every little drop of it on his clothes was intensely odorous, and just walking through the house or being NEAR the stench-cloud when we opened it embued everything with smell.

We shall try again one day.

[Savage]

@Kisota the expanded can is normal for surstromming. Both the cans I've had were like that, and it's why they forbid sending the stuff through the mail in most places. They can in fact explode, which is unpleasant. And expensive. Not sure I would purchase the stuff again, since it's basically a solid protein based mustard-ish condiment that is sharp and salty and umami laden. It's reasonably tasty, but it's a bit pricey to get hold of these days.

[Berlin]

Can't tell if my grumpiness is my true nature or if I'm just getting older. Maybe a combination but who knows. My patience is going right out the metaphorical window for absolutely everything.