Quince Bush, Tustin, MI
Even though my garden isn’t blooming with fabulous quince, things are really leaning Spring-wise into mid-May and it’s good to be home…
I’ve been lollying around Northern Lower MI for the past several days and when the sun was out, it was glorious! There’s a healing spirit in those hills for me and I need to wander several times a year: it’s the antidote to Chicago. A certain something sets off the Travel Timer; crowds? (standing in line behind 23 people at the corner post office has the impact of a blunt instrument), traffic? (when it takes 20 minutes to go around a block, downtown), people? (club kids stumbling en masse down the middle of my street at 3 am, clueless drunk).
I hit that Urban Trifecta right before I left, BINGO! and it was heavenly to be able to visit the Hamlet that is Tustin, Michigan.
Here’s a place where people have to go to the Post Office to retrieve their daily mail, but the Post Master is a great friend and fount of village news. There is really no traffic to speak of. I almost jumped out of my skin the afternoon BooBoo (see portrait below) saw a single car pass the house and lunged for the window at top volume. Drunk & Disorderlies? Unless you count the real live small herd of turkeys crossing the back yard, no.
and then there’s my Mom!
I even had corn-on-the-cob which usually doesn’t happen until Summer!
AND believe it or not, my travel mission was accomplished. It is not unusual to end up at a church potluck dinner in Northern Lower, and one can come away with some fine, fine, recipes to take back to the City to wow and amaze the friends! (Notice, I’m still not cooking but I am talking with everyone who will listen about F.O.O.D. always).
This time I returned the favor. When we were getting ready to eat our ears, I asked for the parmesan and pepper shakers! This is how we do it (get the party started, TGIF): in Chicago, all over the place (right smack on my corner when I get off the #66 after work) is the Elote Man, the cart guy, who serves up the corn, after coating it in Squeeze Parkay, mayo, parmesan and pepper. Even that Paragon of Knowledge, Wikipedia, knows this about my Fair City…
“Elote (Nahuatl: elotl) or choclo (Quechua) is a popular street food served in Mexico. It consists of a roasted corn on the cob. In Mexico, Chicago, and in the south of the United States, it is customary to consume elotes like a popsicle on a stick or by grasping the roasted husk of the ear of corn that have been pulled down to form a “handle”. Hot chile sauce can be spread on the elote as well as other condiments such as butter, mayonnaise, sour cream, cheese, lemon juice, and salt. Powdered lemon pepper seasoning is used on elote in Texas.”
I didn’t have any popsicle sticks with me (I’m sure my mother probably had some from around 1973 hanging around somewhere) but when I buttered the corn, peppered and parmed it, there were audible gasps everywhere…
Throw your hands up. Dance…
Oh,,,,lovely post. Made me a tad homesick for a small town SW of Montreal…
I’ve never even seen a quince bush (that I know of). Cool!
And your mom and BooBoo are just SO Cute!
Yum! Never considered parmesan on corn on the cob, but doesn’t parmesan make EVERYTHING better? I’ll have to try that next time we have some. Now I’m hungry.
BooBoo and your mom are adorable!
So good to see a post from you! I was getting a little worried that something was wrong.
After all the years of reading your blog I suspected you where on an extended Mother’s Day visit.
Your Mom looks so happy and healthy.
…and she sounds a lot like my mom – 79 and spends every waking warm-ish moment in her flower beds. Oh! and the home cooking! After weeks of eating out I’ve been known to whine to C, “I just want some of my Mom’s homemade scalloped potatoes!”
That’s really an excellent photo of your mom & her dog! And now I’m totally jealous of your neighborhood elote stand, that sounds delicious.
Well, you can take the girl out of the city, but you can’t take the city out of the cuisine. I thought you were going to post about the best hot dish and bundt cake, but noooo. Elote with mayonnaise! Very tempting and besides, no one grows corn like the midwest.
Hi Bonne Marie, I wondered about the sudden stat surge on my blog. Thanks for the shout-out!
I love the Aleita Shell in the spring IK – it’s a beautiful addition to your reportoire. Keep up the good work, and keep on knitting.
Don’t you just love hometown cooking?! So lovely to see such a beautiful pic of your Mum. She looks like a lovely lady. I just came back from England after a sad trip–my Mum passed away–so this photo was a pleasure to see.
Mother also had a quince tree and I have always loved the colour of the blooms. Thanks for sharing it.
Dang, you’ve managed to make me homesick! I *adore* elotes. Can’t wait to get some when we visit this summer.
What part of Michigan do you visit? I was born in Kalamazoo (1050) and lived south of there in Three Rives. I remember beautiful beyond belief autumns in the country and wonderful summers at the river. Thanks for sharing your trip adventures. Now, pass the corn and the butter, please. Take care and keep on writing – Lacy
oops, that should be 1950. I’m old but not nearly that old… ha ha
What a beautiful woman your mom is. I love her white hair and soft smile. I’d like to hang out with her!
How wonderful to hear from you, a world away in the Upper Lower. You sound happy and relaxed, which is good. Bottle it, bring it back to Chicago, then open and use liberally when hit by the Trifecta again.
I haven’t ever tried corn on the cob with parmesan, but I will definitely try it next time. Sounds delish!
Just curious about the garden you planted last year at your building…. How is it coming along? It should start sprouting around now, right? Waiting to hear…
Jo