I’m not sure we’ve ever needed chicken soup more, given that it can soothe the soul and satisfy a deep hunger for the basic and the familiar. The winter of our discontent and our inclination to give in to a winter state of mind set the stage for the chicken soup Sue graced me with recently from an Ina Garten recipe in her new cookbook “Modern Comfort Food.”
Cookbooks are a dime a dozen and available by the bushel but Garten’s are uniformly dependable if not spectacular.
Was that chicken soup or chicken pot pie disguised as soup? It was thick, chunky and said, “I dare you not to have another serving.”
A few days later, I smelled chicken soup wafting up the staircase, and there is nothing that wafts better than chicken soup.
It was lunchtime. Turns out all that was left of the chicken soup was the waft because the cook had eaten it. I thought about getting mad but not only had she made the soup, but getting mad is not the chicken soup state of being to which we strive.
I’m not sure whether it’s the quality of the light but suddenly it happens. The leaves begin turning or we start to notice that they have. The maples, liquidambars, sycamores and even the crepe myrtles, sly devils that they are, show some pink. The valley floor catches fire, but this fire is welcome.
Bakersfield is a truck town and has a soft spot for old trucks too. Two responses on the recent column about attempts to steal my almost-30-year-old truck, the first from Greg Dodge:
“I read your article as I just finished my project. My 95 GMC died 7 years ago and it was tired and worn out (I bought it new). After looking at the prices of new trucks I decided to restore it. Did 80% myself for about $10,000. I think it was worth it.”
I think it was too, however I suspect Greg has some skills.
Meanwhile Gary Cope wrote in: “Regarding your old truck. I had its clone. It was stolen twice and I got it back both times. Once from a field in Delano and once my friend noticed it at a bar on Edison Highway. The Sheriff's office response was so slow we just got in it and drove home.
“Good luck. I finally bit the bullet and bought a new one.”
Dueling opinions about toenail fungus treatment came in from Nora Virrey and Karen Frost.
“Topical treatments don't work. You will die of old age before they do,” Nora wrote. “You need to go to your PCP or a podiatrist and ask for an oral antifungal treatment such as Terbinafine or Itraconazole, etc. My husband had extremely grody toenails but after a couple of months his nails looked brand new! It was amazing.”
“I can attest to the efficacy of oregano oil as a nail fungus cure!” Karen wrote. “I used the highest grade I could find (aka the most expensive) and within a few weeks, I was cured. Use it as many times a day as you possibly can. Your entire foot will scream in protest, as will your family and those around you when they get a whiff. Hang in there! It will be worth it!”
Ron Valenti responded to the column about curing neighborhood olives.
“Every year, when I was a kid growing up in the Carnation Track (109 Donna Ave), my grandparents (Albertina and Giuseppe Ghilarducci) would cure green olives. They lived on 10th Street, just west of the old Bakersfield Inn, and would use huge containers in the garage to cure their olives. I didn’t then, nor now, know anything about the process, but just knew it took a lot of love, labor, and time.
“My grandmother would fill glass jars with the olives and store them in their cellar, beside the jarred apricots, pears, and peaches (all grown in their backyard). My brother and I spent every day of the summer at my grandparents’ home.
“If ever you want more olives for your next attempt at curing your own, I have a tree in the front of my house that has enough olives to choke an army.”
Have I mentioned Brandi Carlile and her album “Live at Benaroya Hall with The Seattle Symphony”?
Turn the lights down low, sit in a comfortable chair and listen to the entire album. If you happen to die in the chair it’s OK because you’ve wafted halfway to heaven. All the songs are good but “The Story” is heartbreakingly so.
November 24, 2020 at 12:55AM
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HERB BENHAM: We're wafting happily along - The Bakersfield Californian
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Herb
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