Thanksgiving Menu 2010

Chef-d'oeuvre A Dinner of Dessert

Thanksgiving 2010

Guest of Honor : David Shapiro

A Menu Poem

Chef-d'oeuvre A Dinner of Dessert by Geoffrey Gatza

Published by BlazeVOX [books]

Printed in the United States of America

Book design by Geoffrey Gatza

First Edition

BlazeVOX [books] 303 Bedford Ave Buffalo, NY 14216

[email protected]

publisher of weird little books

BlazeVOX [ books ]

blazevox.org

2 4 6 8 0 9 7 5 3 1

A Dinner Menu of Dessert

Amuseé

New York State Sparkling Wine With A Gingered Chrysanthemum Flower

Appetizer

A Mixed Grill Of Sugared Papaya, Lychee And Caramel Banana

Soup

Deep Chocolate And Tarragon Soup With Frothed Coffee Cream And Hazelnuts

Pièces Montées

Chocolate Sculpture Of A Stuffed Turkey With Marshmallow Stuffing

Desserts From Around The World

Sour Cherry, Vanilla, Fig, Almond And Walnut Glyka Firnee With Pistachios And Flavored With Cardamom. Coconut Puff Cookies Coconut Pudding Flavored With Clove And Ground Excellence Scottish Black Bun Mango, Banana, Strawberry, Sweet Potato, And Chestnut Mochi Canned Peaches

Cheese, Port & Exotic Nuts

Dessert

The Best Rice Pudding In The World

Table of Contents

The Big Story ...... 11

One Game of Scrabble ...... 13 eagerly ...... 17 Pain...... 21 Row...... 24 Whaler...... 26

Scrabble (Part 2)...... 33 Hued ...... 34 Zeta...... 38 Airy ...... 45 Fade...... 60 Mean...... 62 Vote...... 63

Scrabble (part 3)...... 65 Ti ...... 67 jerrid...... 68 Ox...... 69 Bunn...... 70 I win ...... 71 End Notes and Game play...... 72 Definitions...... 74

Dessert Around the World ...... 78 Kabul, Afghanistan ...... 79 Episkopi Cantonment, Akrotiri and Dhekelia...... 80 Pago Pago, American Samoa...... 81 Luanda, Angola...... 82

Tokyo, Japan ...... 83 Edinburgh, Scotland ...... 84 Grytviken, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...... 85

St. John of God ...... 87

The Best Rice Pudding Recipe In The Whole World ...... 92

Chef-d'oeuvre

chef-d'oeuvre:

PRONUNCIATION: (shay-DOO-vruh)

MEANING: noun: A masterpiece.

ETYMOLOGY: From French chef-d'oeuvre (masterpiece) from chef (chief) + oeuvre (work)

Thanksgiving introduction

Hello and thank you for coming to this year’s Thanksgiving poem menu! We are honoring David Shapiro with a truly experimental dinner, a meal made up of different courses of dessert items. This may sound weird, but as this is set up, it would act very nicely as a full meal. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed putting this together.

To work with Mr. Shapiro in mind is a real pleasure. He is so influential to everything I seem to understand / admire / embody as art, it is hard to extricate what it is in my memories of what comes from him and what flows through him. Like one wondering if the fun from a cherry comes from the red color or the unique taste. And it was this quick, poorly developed metaphor that toddled it's way on towards the notion to have a full seven- course meal consisting solely of dessert. I have never had the occasion to do such a thing, a full dinner of dessert, as there is little call for it. This is exactly why this is perfect for David Shapiro. I am a trained chef and I have the ability to prepare this meal but I do have to say that if he came to my home, I would, of course, cook him a fine meal of vegetables and other common comestibles. But for poetry, a paper plate, and a paper soup, why not?

There is a wonderful story that David once played violin for John Lennon. David is an accomplished violinist and this must have been quite the treat to play music for one who has reached the souls of so many. And it is in this spirit that this dinner menu came about, David emailed me to ask if I would do one for him. And I can tell you; it was a happy thing to receive that request! I love David and his poems, in that way one loves and sees

John Lennon’s body of work. In the making of this work, I went at it with the glee I can only imagine he played his violin.

Thank you a thousand times for coming and be sure to come back next year! Hurray!

Love, Geoffrey Gatza

PS: There is a fun interview with Kent Johnson, Thanksgiving Dinner Menu 2004 Guest of Honor, in Jacket http://jacketmagazine.com/37/iv-shapiro-d-ivb-kent.shtml

Chef-d'oeuvre A Dinner of Dessert

Amuseé

New York State Sparkling Wine With A Gingered Chrysanthemum Flower

The Big Story

The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The Big The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The Sto ry The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The wow The The The The The The The The The end

Appetizer

A Mixed Grill Of Sugared Papaya, Lychee And Caramel Banana

One Game of Scrabble Every poem is a winner

Geoffrey Gatza & Michael Kelleher

Introduction

What a way to remove the fun from a game, my partner Donna said to me about this idea. But I have been accused more than once of being the only friend who assigns homework. With the fun of playing a game of Scrabble with Michael Kelleher, a wonderful poet also living in Buffalo, is great, the overwhelming potential for poetry wakes me up from the game and ideas flow into that play space.

So this is how it will play out:

o One game with Mike o Each word I play in a turn will yield a poem title o The poem will consist of words from the tiles I have been given o I will gather a word list of all the potential official words the tiles provide that are actually playable in Scrabble. o I will construct the actual poem after the game is done, (Mike will probably win again, as I have never won against him. He is quite good at this game. Thankfully there is no gamboling.) o Notes and definitions of weird words are located in the end notes, so this is in English, even it appears that it may not be 

Game of play:

Played with Michael Kelleher the week of July 8, 2010 on my iPod Touch and his iPhone 3 over the Internet through our Facebook account version of Scrabble.

Where the words all came from:

A wonderful online scrabble aide, Win Every Game.com http://www.wineverygame.com/wbg.php

This site provides a descrambler program on their site and will generate a list of words that are available from the tiles you enter.

One Game of Scrabble

eagerly Turn One - Points: 78 eagerly regale galere argyle yager relay regal ragee leger leery leary layer large laree lager gyral glary glare gayer elegy early eagre eagle eager argle agree agley aglee year yare rely reel real rale rage lyre

17 leer lear gyre grey gree gray gley glee gear gale eyre eyra eyer eger egal eery eely earl aryl alee agly ager agee aery yea yar rye rya reg ree ray rag lye ley leg lee lea lay lar lag gey gel

18 gee gay gar gal gae eye erg ere era eel ear aye are ale age ye ya re la er el ay ar al ag ae

Pain Turn Two - Points: 12

plain pilaw lapin wain wail plan pina pian pial pawn pawl pain pail nipa nazi nail lawn lain anil zip zin zap wiz

21 win wap wan pin pia paw pan pal nip nil naw nap lip lin aw lap awn awl ani alp ain ail za pi pa na li la

22 in aw an al ai

Row Turn three – Points: 14

whorl horal whoa oral howl hora hoar harl halo awol alow zoa who wha war row rho raw rah owl ora oar low law lar how

24 haw hao azo awl za wo ow or oh lo la ho ha aw ar al ah

Whaler Turn four – Points: 14

whaler thaler sharer retral rehear realer rather rasher rarely railer parrel lather lasher larker larger larder irreal hurler herbal herald hearer healer hauler harper harmer harder halter haleru halers hailer carrel barrel ashler archer yarer wheal whale waler velar ureal urare terra tarre taler shear sheal share shale seral selah rural ruler rheas reran renal relay relax rehab regal rebar rears rearm reals realm reach razer rawer raver ravel rathe rater ratel raser rares rarer rared raphe raper ralph rales raker racer pearl parle parer paler lurer lehua lehrs leash leary lears learn leach layer laxer laver lathe later laser large lares laree larch lamer laker lahar

26 lager lader lacer horal

hirer hilar herry herma herls hemal heart hears heard heals hazer hazel hayer haver hater harry

harls hares harem hared haole halve hales haler haled glare gerah flare feral farle farer earth

early earls drear darer clear chela charr chare carle carer blear blare barre barer baler artel

armer arles ariel argle areal alter almeh alert aleph alder airer abler zeal year yeah yare

wear weal ware wale vera vela veal vale urea thae tela tear teal tare tale tahr

tael shea sera sear seal sale rule ruer role roar rile riel rial rhea resh rely reel rear reap ream real read raze rave rath rate rash rase rare rape rale rake rail rage race plea pear peal parr pare pale orra orle oral olea near merl meal

27 marl mare male lyre lure lore lire lira lier liar leva lehr leer lech leas lear

leap lean leal leak leaf lead laze lave lath late lash lase lars lark lari lard

lane lame lakh lake lair lade lace kale jarl ilea hyla hurl hula hora hole hoer hoar hire hila hers hero hern herm herl here herd herb help helo helm hell held heir heil heel heat hear heap heal head haze have haul hate hart harp harm harl hark hare hard hame halt halo halm hall half hale hake hair hail haet haes haen

haem haed hade haar gear gale frae flea fear feal farl fare eyra errs eras epha elhi elan egal eath ears earn earl each dhal dear deal dare dale dahl char carr carl care brae blah blae bear bare bale

28 axle axel aver aryl arse aril ares area arch aper aloe alme ales alef alee alec alar alae ahem ager aery aero acre ache able yeh yea yar yah wha war wae var the tel tea tar tae she sha ser sel sea sal sae rye rya rue roe ria rho rex rev ret res rep rem rei reg ref ree red rec reb ray rax raw rat ras rap ran ram raj rah rag rad per peh pea par pal pah ore ora ole oar nah nae mel mar mae lye lie lez ley lex lev leu let lek lei leg lee led lea lay lax law lav lat las lar lap lam lag lad lac lab kea kae jar ire hue hoe hie hey hex hew het hes her hep hen hem heh hay

haw hat has hap hao ham haj hah hag hae had gel gar gal gae fer feh far eth eta ers err ern erg ere era els elm ell elk elf eld eel edh eau eat ear del dal dah cel car brr bra bel bar bal bah aye axe awl awe ave ate ash art ars arm ark arf are arc arb ape ane alt als alp all ale alb ala air ail ahi aha age ace aal aah za ye ya we uh ta sh re pe pa or oh oe ne na me ma lo li la ka ho hm hi he ha fe fa ex et es er en em el eh ef ed de be ba ay ax aw at as ar an am al ai

30 ah ag ae ad ab aa

Soup

Deep Chocolate And Tarragon Soup With Frothed Coffee Cream And Hazelnuts

Scrabble (Part 2)

In the same way the peacock's tail evolved into a flamboyantly useless appendage, words have had to resort to ludicrous contortions to stand out. Inspired by the movement of candlelight, Stopoped is an amalgam of words, supposedly from the "ignore them, they're just trying to get attention" school of poetry. So far we're just not sure if this is a comedy, a tragedy or some surreal, hallucinogenic fairy tale, neverumind

just eat them.

Hued Turn five - Points 16

tythed kythed deathy zesty wyted tythe tyred typed tyned toyed thyme thewy teddy techy styed kythe hyped hertz hefty hedgy heady hazed hayed hated ethyl

doeth ditzy depth deity death zyme zeta zest zeds yodh yett yeti yeld yech yeah wyte whey whet tyre type tyne tyke tyes tyer tyee

trey toed tody tied tidy tide thud they thew then them thee thae teth tend teed teds stye stey shed oyez ohed myth meth kyte

khet hyte hype hued hoed

34 hied hide hets heth hest

herd hent held heft heed

heat head hazy haze hate

haet haed hade eyed eths

etch emyd edit edhs edgy

eddy eath dyne dyke dyes

dyer dyed duty duet dozy

doze doty doth dote ditz dite diet deys dexy dewy

deny dent demy defy deft deet debt daze date chez byte beth adze zit zek zee zed yod yid yew yet yes yep yen yeh

yea yah wye why wet wed vet ute tye try toy toe tod tie thy tho the tew tet ten tel teg tee ted tea

35 tae tad sty shy she set rye ret red pye

pht pet peh ped ode

nth net met med lye

lez ley let led key

jet hyp hut hue hoy

hot hoe hod hit hie hid hey hex hew het

hes her hep hen hem

heh hay hat hae had

gey get ged fez fey

fet feh fed eye eth

eta end eld eft edh

eat dye duh due dry

dot doe dit die dey

dex dew dev den del

def dee deb day dah

bye bey bet bed aye

ate adz za yo ye

ya we ut uh to

ti ta sh re pe oy oh oe od ne my me it id ho hm hi he ha fe ex et es er en

em el eh ef ed do de by be ay at ah ae ad

Zeta Turn Six - Points 38

zygote zonate zealot teapoy azotes azoted

zooty zoeas zoeal zoeae zloty zlote

zetas zesty yenta yeast toyer toyed

topaz toney tokay togae today toady

tepoy teary tazze stoae peaty ovate

orate oater oaten motey meaty matzo

matey etyma cozey azoth azote azole atopy atony atone atomy adoze zyme

zone zoea zeta zest zero zeal

zany yowe yore yoke yoga yett

yeti yeas year yean yeah yare

wyte vote veto tzar tyro tyre

typo type tyne tyke tyes tyer

tyee twae troy trey tray toys

toyo towy tote tory tore tora

tope tony tone tome tole tola

toke toga toes toed toea tody toby toad they thae tepa tela teat teas tear team teal teak tate taro tare tape taos tame tale take tael taco tace stye stoa stey stay soya seta seat sate ryot rote rota raze rato rate poet peat paty pate oyez

oyes oyer oozy ooze olea okay

ofay odea obey oats oath oast

39 oaky note nota neat mote moat meta meat mazy maze mayo mate lota lazy laze late kyte kyat keto kayo jota joey jato iota hyte hoya heat hazy haze hate haet goat geta gaze gate fozy feta feat faze fate eyra eyas etna etas eats eath easy east dozy doze doty dote doat daze dato date cozy cote coat cate byte bota boat beta beat bate azon ayes auto atop atom ates arty ante alto aloe ahoy aery aero aeon adze abye abet zoo

zoa zit zek zee zed zax

zas zap zag yow you yon

yom yok yod yob yew yet

yes yep yen yeh yea yay yaw yar yap yam yak yah wye wot woe wet way wat wae voe vet vat ute uta tye two twa try toy tow tot tor top too ton tom tog toe tod tie thy tho the tew tet ten tel teg tee ted tea tax taw tav tau tat tas tar tap tao tan tam taj tag tae tad tab sty soy sot set sea

41 say sat sae rye rya rot roe ret ray rat qat pye pya pot pet pea pay pat oxy owe ova out ose ort ore ora opt ope oot one ole oke oka oft oes ode oca obe oba oat oar oak oaf not net nay nae mot moa met may mat mae lye lot lez ley let lea lay

lat koa key kea kay kat kae joy jot joe jet jay

hoy hot hoe hey het hay

hat hao hae goy got goa

gey get gay gat gae foy

foe fez fey fet fay fat

eye eth eta era eon ego

eft eau eat ear dye dot

doe dey day coz coy cot

cay cat bye boy bot boa

bey bet bay bat azo ays

42 aye axe awe avo ave att ate art are apt ape any ant ane alt ale ait ago age aft adz ado act ace aby abo za yo ye ya wo we ut to ti ta so re pe pa oy ox ow os or op on om oi oh of oe od no ne na my mo me ma lo la ka jo it ho he ha go fe fa ex et es er en em el eh ef ed do de by

bo be ba ay ax aw

at as ar an am al

ai ah ag ae ad ab

Airy Turn Seven - Points 12 ratify notify floaty aliyot wifty tokay toffy today toady tafia taffy stoai softy softa ratio patio ostia ofays nifty motif lofty laity iotas forty foray footy folia foist foamy flota float fitly

45 fifty fiats fatty fatso fatly faith fairy faint fagot coati biota atopy atony atomy amity aloft afrit afoot yoni yogi yoga yeti yagi yaff wait waif waft vita tyro typo tufa troy trio tray toys toyo towy

46 tory tori tora topi tony tola toit toil toga tofu toft toff toea tody toby toad tivy tiro tiny tiff tidy thio taxi taro taos tali tain tail taco stoa stay soya soft sofa sift sati

47 ryot roti rota riot rift rato raft pity pita paty otic omit okay oily ohia ofay obit obia oats oath oast oaky oafs nota naoi naif moat mity mayo loti lota loft loaf lift lati kyat kayo

48 kaif jota jiao jato iota

into info ikat iffy hoya haft goat

gift gait frit fray frat fozy foys foxy fort fora foot font foin foil

fogy foci foam foal flit flay flat fixt fits fist

49 fino filo fila fido

fico fiat fiar feta feat fays fats

fate fast fart faro fano fair fain fail fado fact doty doit doat dita

dato daft coif coft coat city ciao

bota boat bait ayin auto

50 atop atom

arty anti alto alit alif aits airy airt ahoy agio adit zoa zit yow you yon yom yok yod yob yip yin yid yet yea yay yaw yar yap yam yak yah wot wit way

51 wat via vat uta tye two twa tui try toy tow tot tor top too ton tom tog toe tod tit tis tip tin til tie tic thy tho tea tax taw tav tau tat tas

52 tar tap tao tan tam taj tag tae tad tab sty soy sot sit say sat rya rot rif ria ray rat qat pya pot poi pit pia pay pat oxy ova out ort ora opt oot

53 oka oil oft off oca obi oba oat oar oak oaf not nit nay mot moa may mat lot lit lay lat koi koa kit kif kay kat kaf joy jot jay ivy its ion ifs

54 iff icy hoy hot hit hay hat

hao goy got goa git gay gat

fry fro foy fox fou for fop

fon foh fog foe fob fly fiz

fix fit fir fin fil fig fie fid fib

55 fey fet fay fax fat

fas far fan fag fad eta eft

eat dot dit dif day coy cot

cay cat boy

bot boa bit bio

bay bat azo ays aye avo att ate art arf

56 apt any ant ani ami alt ait ais air ain aim ail aid ahi ago aft aff ado act aby abo za yo ye ya xi wo ut to ti ta so si qi pi pa oy

57 ox ow

os or op on om oi oh

of oe od no na my mo mi ma lo li la ki ka jo it is in if id ho hi ha go fe fa et ef

do by bo bi ba ay ax

aw at as ar an am al

ai ah ag ae ad ab aa

59 Fade Turn Eight - Points 16

tome toea team tame mote moat meta meat

mate foam feta feat fate fame atom atma

tom toe tea tao tam tae oft oat

oaf mot moa met mat mae foe fet

fem fat eta emf eft eat ate ama

aft to ta om of oe mo me

ma fe fa et em ef

60 at am

ae aa

Mean Turn Nine – Points:9

Ovate vote veto Tome toea team Tame move mote

Moat meta meat Mate jota jato Atom voe vet

Vat tom toe Tea tav tao Tam taj tae

Ova oat mot Moa met mat Mae jot joe

Jet jam eta Eat avo ave Ate to ta

Om oe mo Me ma jo Et em at am ae

Vote Turn Ten – Points: 33

outvie vote veto jute jive etui voe vie vet ute

tui toe tie out jut jot joe jeu jet ut

to ti oi oe jo it et

Pièces Montées

Chocolate Sculpture Of A Stuffed Turkey With Marshmallow Stuffing

Scrabble (part 3)

Ti Turn Eleven – Points: 9

tui rut jut ut ti it

jerrid Turn Twelve – Points: 23

ruer rue rei jeu

ire err re er

Ox Turn Thirteen – Points: 34

bund nub dun dub

cud cub bun bud

xu un nu

Bunn Turn Fourteen – Points: 12

bund nub dun

dub cud cub bun

bud un nu

I win Turn Fifteen – end of game and remaining tiles form only one word:

cud

End Notes and Game play

The action of the game:

Game of play Word Points total

Geoffrey: Eagerly 78 78 Michael: Deadly 22 22

Geoffrey: Pain 12 90 Michael: Goonies 20 42

Geoffrey: Row 14 104 Michael: Waft 18 60

Geoffrey: Whaler 14 118 Michael: Bucks 37 97

Geoffrey: Hued 16 134 Michael: Ai 16 113

Geoffrey: Zeta 38 172 Michael: Tier 16 113

Geoffrey: Airy 12 184 Michael: Yon 18 151

Geoffrey: Fade 16 200 Michael: Van 24 175

Geoffrey: Mean 12 209 Michael: Louting 64 239

Geoffrey: Vote 33 242 Michael: Mop 28 267

Geoffrey: Ti 11 253 Michael: Rob 11 278

Geoffrey: Jerrid 23 276 Michael: Stern 18 296

Geoffrey: Ox 34 310 Michael: Qis 12 308

Geoffrey: Bunn 12 322 Michael: xxxx 12 320

Michael cleared his rack leaving Geoffrey with the letters: U C D

Penalties and bonuses: -6 to each player

Final score:

Geoffrey: 316 Michael: 314

73 Definitions and fun scrabble words

Words with no consonants

Aa Ae Ai Oe Eau

Words with "Q" without "U" following it

Qi Qat Qis Suq Suqs Qoph Qats Qadi Qaid Umiaq Tranq Qophs Qanat Qadis Qaids Faqir Umiaqs Tranqs Sheqel Qwerty Qiviut Qintar Qindar Qanats Faqirs Buqsha Qwertys Qiviuts Qintars Qindars Buqshas Sheqalim Qindarka

Words without vowels or "Y"

HMintj. expressing thought (hmm) MMintj. expressing satisfaction SHintj. used to urge silence (shh) BRR intj. used to indicate coldness (brrr) CWM circular basin with steep walls (cirque) HMM intj. expressing thought NTH pert. to item number n PHT intj. expressing mild anger or annoyance SHH intj. used to urge silence (sh) TSK to utter a scolding exclamation BRRRintj. used to indicate coldness CWMS[cwm] (circular basin with steep walls) PFFTintj. expressing an abrupt ending PSSTintj. used to attract someone's attention TSKS[tsk] (to utter a scolding exclamation) CRWTH ancient stringed musical instrument PHPHT intj. expressing mild anger or annoyance (pht) CRWTHS[crwth] (ancient stringed musical instrument) TSKTSKto utter a scolding exclamation (tsk) TSKTSKS [tsktsk] (to utter a scolding exclamation)

Words with two letters

AA - rough, cindery lava EX - the letter "X" OH - to exclaim in surprise AB - abdominal muscle FA - a tone of the scale OM - a mantra AD - advertisement GO - to move along ON - batsman's side of wicket AE - one HA - sound of surprise OP - a style of abstract art AG - pertaining to agriculture HE - male person OR - the heraldic color gold AH - expresses delight HI - used as a greeting OS - a bone AI - three-toed sloth HM - expresses consideration OW - expresses pain AL - an East Indian tree HO - expresses surprise OX - a clumsy person AM - form of "to be" ID - part of the psyche OY - expresses dismay AN - indefinite article IF - a possibility PA - father AR - the letter "R" IN - to harvest PE - a Hebrew letter AS - to the same degree IS - form of "to be" PI - a Greek letter AT - in the position of IT - neuter pronoun RE - a tone of the scale AW - expresses protest JO - sweetheart SH - urges silence AX - cutting tool KA - (Egyptian) spiritual self SI - ti (a tone of the scale) AY - affirmative vote LA - tone of the scale SO - sol (a tone of the scale) BA - (Egyptian) eternal soul LI - Chinese unit of distance TA - expression of gratitude BE - to have actuality LO - expresses surprise TI - a tone of the scale BI - a bisexual MA - mother TO - in the direction of BO - a pal ME - personal pronoun UH - expresses hesitation BY - a side issue MI - tone of the scale UM - indicates hesitation DE - of; from - used in names MM - expresses assent UN - one DO - a tone of the scale MO - a moment UP - to raise ED - pertaining to education MU - a Greek letter US - personal pronoun EF - the letter "F" MY - possessive pronoun UT - musical tone (is now DO) EH - expresses doubt NA - no; not WE - pronoun EL - elevated railroad NE - born with the name of WO - woe EM - the letter "M" NO - a negative reply XI - a Greek letter EN - the letter "N" NU - a Greek letter XU - monetary unit of Vietnam ER - expresses hesitation OD - a hypothetical force YA - you ES - the letter "S" OE - Faeroe Islands whirlwind YE - you ET - a past tense of eat OF - coming from YO - used to call attention KI - inner strength, life energy QI - circulating life energy ZA - Slang word for Pizza

Desserts From Around The World

A selection from: Dessert Around the World Having dessert in the capitals of the world

One person’s history is the history of the entire human race

—Nishiwaki Junzaburo From Sorcery in the Vegetable Garden Translated by Hosea Hirata

78 Kabul, Afghanistan

Dessert is usually a Sunday affair at my home, she said while sipping a milky tea. I told her I understood poverty. She waved a hand brushing away the words I was saying. Oh, no, it had nothing to do with money. It was my mother, she believed that something tastes better if you wait for them. All week long we waited in great anticipation for our dessert. Secretly my brother and I believed that our mother did not like to cook very much. I thought it was a lovely idea even if it was an excuse.

She told me that she keeps this tradition of waiting for foods as a part of her life. Each year on her birthday she eats a large bowl of Firnee which is thick custard with pistachios and flavored with cardamom.

All year she thinks of her custard and on her day, she indulges. Nothing can compare to eating your favorite dish, especially after thinking about it for a whole year. I told her, that in my home we go to the store and buy a cake for birthdays. She said nothing, only slurped her tea very loudly.

79 Episkopi Cantonment, Akrotiri and Dhekelia

It was mid-afternoon and I was walking down a tiny cobblestone alley. I saw an English Army officer having a lonely cup of demitasse. He was seated in a small, family run café. He politely offered me a seat and ordered us a pot of coffee. We talked for a while and I felt comfortable enough to make a little joke, I told him that my mother was an English major too.

It’s a good thing to be, he giggle, education is as important as the military. Now try one of these. He handed me a spoonful of a thick orange jam. It’s called glyka tou koutaliou, which translates to mean, spoon sweets; it is fruit preserved in sugar. It's very nice but very sweet. I took a small taste and felt very warm inside. It was a bright sweet orange flavor but also a twinge of bitter from the thinly sliced peel. He told me they are made from almost any fruit, although sour and bitter fruits are remarkably favored.

We ordered several kinds, and after he introduced me to each one, he celebrated each taste by raising the spoon and toasting, here is another brick in the wall of your education. We tried the sour cherry, vanilla, fig, and almond. My favorite was the walnut glyka; which brought back a memory of my grandmother’s pantry, it always smelled of cedar and somehow this taste brought me back to that room. The flavors were many and varied, they even had one of baby eggplants, which I tried but didn’t care for all that much. My English friend said that it was all right to not like the taste of something; education makes you taller just by experiencing.

80 Pago Pago, American Samoa

I have been told that one has to earn those golden moments in life. And my stay in Pago Pago proved this to be true. I toured the vibrant communities, tuna canneries and a national park with the family I had been staying with. We climbed to the summit of a lush green mountain, called Mt. Alava. It was difficult to not admire the glorious views of this blue pacific harbor and it’s tropical town.

The five of us picnicked on a dramatic cliff, laying out a red gingham cloth and taking in the salty, floral afternoon air. As we cleaned up our picnic, we ate some coconut puff cookies called Keke Faasaina, which are lightly crispy on the outside and very soft on the inside. It was like eating a sweet down pillow. The father asked me if I was happy as he poured me a cup of ice cold coffee. I told him that I was super happy, and smiled, popping another cookie into my mouth. He looked to his son, then down, then back to his wife who was packing up our picnic basket.

He asked me sheepishly what it was that I meant by supper happy? I was about to explain that it was only silly expression stated in poor English, when his son jumped up with his arm in the air. He said it was happiness with a red flowing cape on it! We all laughed and had more cookies and began our long journey down the mountain.

81 Luanda, Angola

On the bus to Luanda, I was seated next to a very nice man. He was on his way home, which is always a good feeling. However, this journey involved an even brighter feeling, he was on his way home to meet his mother, father and three sisters after a very long time away. He was in prison for a crime that would not be considered a crime in my homeland.

Some things just taste like home, and that taste is the taste of freedom. Freedom is a funny thing, he said, but an even odder thing was the way the prison cook prepared cocada amarela. Apparently there are many ways to prepare this dessert and his mother made it best. Cocada amarela is a thick coconut pudding flavored with clove and ground excellence. It is very sweet and rather heavy but my friend told me he would, at the proper moment, after reuniting hugs, eat a barrowful of his mother’s pudding.

82 Tokyo, Japan

I met a writer friend of mine in Tokyo; he had come from Kyoto just for this meeting. It was very exciting, as we had never met face to face. We had talked for years over email, and now we could finally sit and talk over tea. He showed me many shops where they serve delightful foods, but we kept on walking. I know a place I want you to see, he said curling his fingers forward.

We toured most of Tokyo before finding a confectioner who served Wagashi. They are the size of a chocolate, a one-bite treat. Wagashi are made from mochi, which is a rice cake that has been kneaded into a paste. They are artfully sculpted into tiny fruit shapes and have lots of different flavors. Some are fruit flavors like mango, banana, strawberry, sweet potato, and chestnuts. The one I like best was pickled cherry leaf.

We sat eating and enjoying ourselves over tea when I asked him how he knew I would like wagashi. He told me plainly, fortune favors the prepared mind.

83 Edinburgh, Scotland

I was in a delightful pub near the Firth of Forth, which was a bit down from the city proper where I got talking with a group of locals. One man said that Robert Louis Stevenson once wrote, Edinburgh is what Paris ought to be. But a woman in the corner near a warming fire lovingly referred to Edinburgh as Auld Reekie. I found out this is Scots for Old Smelly, which was still kept in circulation from the times they heated their homes with wooden and coal fires. There is nothing more comfortable than a fire and something sweet to nibble.

After telling them of my journeys and the desserts I had tried, they all said I needed to try Scottish Black Bun. Normally this is served on Hogmanay, which is Scots for New Year's Eve. However, Black Bun is enjoyed all year round. They were rather insistent, which made me a bit fearful for what it might be. I was afraid it might be a pig’s eye pudding, or worse. After a bit more encouragement, I began to think better of it, or rather a bit more adventurously. So they brought out a large pastry that was topped with fancy roses made out of the flaky crust. Inside it held a tight mix of raisins, currants, almonds and it smelled of cinnamon, all spice and brandy. I was very excited, as the cold dark evening needed something bracing like this black bun.

I cut into a slice when the man with the Stevenson quote came around. He said, you’d recall that the poet Robert Burns once said, then he stopped, scratched his head and looked far away as if searching for something deep within his head. He began; it goes like this, something, something, something row, something, something, something in tow, or words to that effect. I smiled and was thankful for the information. But the old woman near the fire got up and shooed him away with a broom, saying, no one wants to be bothered by the poet Burns while they are having their buns. She looked at me with a loving eye and touched my cheek, now eat up, there’s a good lad. And went back to her fire and began to knit.

84 Grytviken, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

I hired a fishing boat to take me to Grytviken. The captain of the ship was very nice, an older Russian man with a salt and pepper beard. He asked me why I was going to these islands. He scratched his beard and said hesitantly, you do know that there are no permanent inhabitants on the islands and almost everything is shuttered. I started, what do you mean? I asked. He calmed me down easily and told me I would find some accommodations, but why would I go there this time of the year? Did I want to see the explorer Ernest Shackleton’s grave? I told him I hoped to visit the museum, have dinner and maybe find out if there was anything special for dessert. He giggled, pointing to my belly, maybe you should be not so worried for your dessert. We both laughed. Travel around the world takes its toll.

After we both came to the conclusion that his wise suggestion of, maybe I should want to go home, was the proper course of action. I ate dinner with the crew. We had boiled salt potatoes with crab and corn. For dessert the captain opened a can of peaches. He motioned with a wave of his hand, seeking my approval. My favorite I said, a real peach of a peach. No he said, smiling, a real Georgia peach. The crew laughed for a few minutes over the very bad pun. We drank black tea and sailed into the night, endeavoring back to my home.

Cheese, Port & Exotic Nuts

St. John of God Patron saint of booksellers Goes to AWP

For Bernie Rhodenbarr

The animal shall not be measured by man. In a world older and more complete than ours, they move finished and complete, gifted with extension of the senses we have lost or never attained, living by voices we shall never hear. They are not brethren; they are not underlings; they are other nations, caught with ourselves in the net of life and time, fellow prisoners of the splendor and travail of the earth.

–Henry Beston, naturalist and author (1888-1968)

o He was all Dr. Jeckle / Paulie Shore

Conjure up the classic image of a humanities or social sciences professor, the fields where the imbalance is greatest: tweed jacket, pipe, nerdy, longwinded, secular and liberal. Even though that may be an outdated stereotype, it influences younger people's ideas about what they want to be when they grow up.

o Winterception

he's been an absolute tiger Thick as thieves they quest to tame the restive region

o The democracy manqué

self-harm meticulous the art form that shapes the world exuberance

o Cannibal cookies

Not too distant horizon What do you want? I wanted so many things I couldn’t respond Let me have a look at you. Look noble and refined Those that look bereft and in need, seldom receive it

o Cinnamon Acetaminophen

He has proved to be a broken reed

o I’m too lazy to be a transvestite

A thing in nature without a flaw is in itself a flaw. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder; and I behold something beautiful, my boy.

o A true friend fact checks

embrace of midnight debauchery sheer malarkey raucous escapements dour and repressed

o Preposterous Prepositions

Great ideas take time, effort, and perseverance. There are countless dead ends and failures along the way

o Ray Federman is no Dominic Dunne

but also to live, as patisseries do, absorbed in the repetitive, ritualized, and seemingly timeless practices of their art.

monkish or self-sacrificing

o I don’t know what you do with your head

dignified moderation and temporal respect forget the travails and bad

she could no longer countenance being a member in that multi-modal and multilayered bungalow

plummeted

o Thought Violence

I’d rather speak to the cat

Perspicacity – synonyms: acumen, sagacity, discernment, shrewdness, insight, penetration, acuteness, and clairvoyance. Someone who is perspicacious notices, realizes, and understands things quickly.

It was all piffle imbroglio implacable / implacably often thought of as difficult, remote and unattractive

o Fourive / Fourevif

to a considerable extent or degree. completely, wholly, or entirely. actually, really, or truly.

Kill two birds with one cat

o I, egg, lightly beaten

He is so old school it's almost endearing. He's been making poetry for nearly 40 years and continues to make them just as he pleases, even if that means he's completely out of step with a younger, more unruly generation.

Dessert

The Best Rice Pudding In The World

The Best Rice Pudding Recipe In The Whole World

Well OK, it is good, and very well may be the very best recipe in the whole world. But it may not be, I am not sure. I did eat a great deal of rice pudding on my journey. And if I am right, each place had some kind of rice pudding. It might be because rice is widely used all around the globe. Or it might be just because it is really, really good.

2 cups Coconut milk 1/2 cup heavy cream 1/3 cup long grain white rice 1 vanilla bean 1 Teaspoon salt ¼ cup sugar

2 eggs 1 teaspoon of cinnamon ½ Teaspoon cardamom ½ cup sultanas ½ cup pistachios

Place the rice in a large mixing bowl and wash the rice under cold rice. This will wash off some of the starch of the rice allowing the pudding to be a creamer texture. Put the rice, sugar, coconut milk, cream and salt in a heavy-bottomed pot. Cut a lengthwise slit down the vanilla bean to open up the insides and add to the pot and bring to boil. Reduce the flame let the rice cook for 20 minutes, making sure to stir frequently to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Beat eggs in a large mixing bowl until it is light, fluffy and a light lemon color. Add a cup of the rice mix to the eggs to temper them. Then add the eggs to the creamy rice and whip vigorously so the eggs will not scramble. Cook on a low flame for five more minutes. Add the spices, pistachios, and sultanas. Serve in a dessert bowl with a dollop of whipped cream.

Geoffrey Gatza is the editor and Publisher of BlazeVOX [books] and the author of eight books of poetry; Secrets of my Prison House will be out in the Fall of 2010. Kenmore: Poem Unlimited and Not So Fast Robespierre are now available from Menendez Publishing. HouseCat Kung Fu: Strange Poems for Wild Children is also available from Meritage Press. He lives in Buffalo, NY with his girlfriend and two cats. http://www.geoffreygatza.com/ http://www.blazevox.org