Saturday, March 17, 2007
Whew....
Not exactly the noise I've been making for the past hour, but it's close. Tonight I engaged in my only close approximation of competitive eating: the sausage and spaghetti dinner at a local Catholic church. Best I can tell, everything at the dinner--spaghetti, sauce, hot sauce, sauerkraut, corn, coleslaw, sausage, bread, pickles and dessert--is homemade. The margarine, parmesan cheese, sweetener/sugar and tea aren't technically homemade. Everyone is served family style out of big bowls that volunteers keep filled. This is definitely a time to wear your "fat pants".
Our typical plan is to get there at 4 pm. Doors open at 4:30. It's absolutely best to get out before mass lets out or you'll be behind the parishoners. When it's an election year, local politicians pass out cards, shake hands and meet the people. I was glad this year wasn't one. We got there a little later than normal, but the line wasn't too bad. It was a smaller group than normal, but we were just as hungry.
We got our seats at a long table in the parish hall and started in. I'm not much of a sauerkraut fan, but what they serve here actually tastes like it was cabbage at one point and is not overly vinegary. The Italian-style sausage is so good that the first year I went, I told a friend "it's so good, I don't care what's in it". It could have been any combo of game and I'd still eat it. The Boy asked about it one year (after I got him hooked) and it turns out it's all beef and pork. The spaghetti and sauce are all mixed in and the sauce is very light.
Since the community that hosts this is predominantly of Italian descent, the sausage and spaghetti are not surprising. The hot sauce, which is to be poured on the pasta, doesn't quite "fit" with what you think of as Italian, but it's really good. I'm not sure where the kraut and coleslaw come from either, but they're both very good.
You sit and eat until you're ready to leave. Portion control is not the order of the day for anyone. As good as it is, I'm glad I only have the opportunity to do this twice a year. Dessert is an assortment of cakes, pies and brownies all made by the church members. The Boy usually gets pecan pie--sometimes two pieces. On the way out, there is usually an opportunity to buy pickles, sausage (by the bucket), spaghetti sauce, hot sauce, bread, jams and my favorite, cinnamon rolls. We made our usual purchase of cinnamon rolls and a quart jar of sauce.
So the competitive eating is over for now. There will be another opportunity to indulge in June.
Our typical plan is to get there at 4 pm. Doors open at 4:30. It's absolutely best to get out before mass lets out or you'll be behind the parishoners. When it's an election year, local politicians pass out cards, shake hands and meet the people. I was glad this year wasn't one. We got there a little later than normal, but the line wasn't too bad. It was a smaller group than normal, but we were just as hungry.
We got our seats at a long table in the parish hall and started in. I'm not much of a sauerkraut fan, but what they serve here actually tastes like it was cabbage at one point and is not overly vinegary. The Italian-style sausage is so good that the first year I went, I told a friend "it's so good, I don't care what's in it". It could have been any combo of game and I'd still eat it. The Boy asked about it one year (after I got him hooked) and it turns out it's all beef and pork. The spaghetti and sauce are all mixed in and the sauce is very light.
Since the community that hosts this is predominantly of Italian descent, the sausage and spaghetti are not surprising. The hot sauce, which is to be poured on the pasta, doesn't quite "fit" with what you think of as Italian, but it's really good. I'm not sure where the kraut and coleslaw come from either, but they're both very good.
You sit and eat until you're ready to leave. Portion control is not the order of the day for anyone. As good as it is, I'm glad I only have the opportunity to do this twice a year. Dessert is an assortment of cakes, pies and brownies all made by the church members. The Boy usually gets pecan pie--sometimes two pieces. On the way out, there is usually an opportunity to buy pickles, sausage (by the bucket), spaghetti sauce, hot sauce, bread, jams and my favorite, cinnamon rolls. We made our usual purchase of cinnamon rolls and a quart jar of sauce.
So the competitive eating is over for now. There will be another opportunity to indulge in June.
