Horses d'Oovers, Scarecrows, and Canopies

Bay Bread

Photo Credit: Cheryl Dolby

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There is a coincidence of streets where if I cross on the north side, I will be given a set of coupons for Pax Wholesome Food (healthy soups and salads plus pressetta variations). If I continue south one block, there will be a congenial hander-outer of Cafe Europa discounts. I can cross back over at that point and instead of coupons, I will be enticed by a 5 page (both sides) menu from Green Cafe. Unfortunately for my mother, these would have been trendy falling into highbrow. Not her thing. On the Green Cafe list, the word "fresh" pops up frequently as in the BBQ Quesadilla with its fresh cilantro in red pepper tortilla. And fresh basil/fresh mozzarella for the Sunset Turkey Panini. At breakfast, one can order a Grilled Cheese Sandwich, no ingredients specified but hey! the choice of a grilled cheese sandwich for breakfast is pure gourmet. The Vegetarian Delight Premium Wrap is bathed in Herbal Mayo. My mother would have passed this place up. She was disaster oriented. "It's best not to learn how to cook," she advised withh hand motions, "because it will spoil you. You won't be able to stomach the greasy spoons on the back roads with the quirky customers and the restroom doors held together by those thick,large dangling nails." She was big on car adventures which she considered the sole reason for my learning to drive. I remember driving her from Phoenix to Wickenburg to go to a bakery. I asked if the highly recommended Peoria Bakery wouldn't be just as good and a lot handier. "Oh no, " she replied, The Wickenburg bakery is much worse." Well, it did have characters, my mother being one of them. At her top weight, she weighed in at 110. As far as nutrition went, fudge contained all the food groups she ever needed, She would probably know what the Green Cafe's Bruschettas are about but any place with white chocolate chip cookies was a downright downer. There would be no living with her if the cookies were baked with anything not your basic Hershey's milk chocolate. Personally, I could go for the tea sandwiches, "mini English Tea Sandwiches (4 pcs/person) $4.95" but she would have insisted I take them to go so we could find a nice diner as retro as possible. The definition of nice would be along the lines of a ratty but genteel family run business on the verge of bankruptcy with ties to the Old Country. As for collecting recipes, she had one cookbook. The cover illustration was done by a New Yorker cartoonist which is likely why my dad bought it for her. One thing is certain: she never read it. Yesterday, I happened to be at 42nd and 3rd Avenue after an outing to the Mid-Manhattan Library. To my surprise I was handed Pax Wholesome Food coupons. I asked, "Is there a Pax around here?" It turns out I was standing right in front of it. I decided to risk being spoiled. I took one of the $1 coupons and indulged in a Zesto. Folks, my mother was right. Now I am TOTALLY SPOILED.

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...May you have the blessing of fine memories, conventional or otherwise...