Sunday, July 14, 2013

A Hard Nut To Crack

One of my favorite snacks is rice cakes topped with a bit of peanut butter. So, when we arrived in Sevilla in 2011, I quickly learned how to say peanut: cacahuete.

According to some people I know, to learn how to say rice cake in Spanish, you simply need to find the translation for "packing material." Instead of rice cake (Styrofoam) with peanut butter, I now enjoy espuma de poliesterino con mantequilla de cacahuete.

Our wonderful friend Tere was here in Fuengirola from Sevilla for one day. The three of us went just downstairs to dinner last night. The restaurant, Cosmopolita, serves a complementary appetizer — a small tray of peanuts alongside a small tray of olives. San Geraldo, as you may remember, hates olives, so he went right for the peanuts. Tere had two. I had four. Tere stepped away from the table for a phone call. When I glanced back at the plate, no peanuts remained.

THE LAST CACAHUETE.

I gaped at San Geraldo, "You ate all the peanuts?!?" He moved the empty aluminum tray aside and happily exclaimed, "There's one left!" I immediately popped it in my mouth only to discover it had gone bad.

I said, "It's no good. I can't even chew it." Then I spit it into my hand. Such a peculiar taste and texture for a peanut.

But not at all peculiar for an olive pit. Tere had eaten one olive before she left the table. Charming.

Q: HOW DO YOU SAY "BRAT" IN SPANISH?  A: SAN GERALDO.
(BELIEVE IT OR NOT, HE REALLY DID THINK IT WAS A PEANUT.)


19 comments:

  1. Judeet:
    30 or so years ago just the thought of it would have brought on a nervous breakdown. But after nearly 32 years with San Geraldo, I'm almost numb to things like this.

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  2. I'm still laughing.... but your blog today make me kinda wishing I were back in the land of good food... yesterday we bought some Spanish wine at the local HEB (grocery is Texas).... 3 bottles for $10... mix or match the kinds. Screw off caps... (okay, I sound like a snob)... then headed over to the deli and bought a variety of olives... headed home for lunch. Neither tasted a damned thing like the items we bought at that market in Triana.... I might as well have been eating that olive pit!

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  3. I love the picture of San Geraldo (or should I say little brat Jerry?). He seems to have traded his halo for all the trappings of a little kid, tongue and all.

    At first, I wasn't sure what was all the fuss about trying to chew an olive pit. Then it dawned on me. Oh, my!

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  4. I remember enjoying olives when we were in Spain. Now I'll be checking my olive pits carefully so I don't mistake them for peanuts.

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    Replies
    1. Stephen:
      I have always liked olives. I'm in love with them here. So many varieties and flavors. There's even one type San Geraldo can almost eat (almost).

      Delete
  5. What would I do without my daily peanut butter....I so relate to this Mitch! It's been a while since I have had rice crackers.....hm-m-m.
    Jerry aka San Geraldo has 'the devil' in his eyes!! lol

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jim:
      The devil is not just in his eyes. Saint my foot.

      Delete
  6. I thought rice crackers WERE styrofom !

    ReplyDelete
  7. Sometimes you feel like a nut... sometimes you don't! ;)

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    Replies
    1. Walt the Fourth:
      And now I'm singing the Almond Joy/Mounds ditty!

      Delete
  8. Olive pits...not fair!

    Jim is a peanut-nut for sure. He got me hooked on peanut butter with 'pretty much' anything that is edible. Now sadly my tumtum won't allow PB in my system even the smell irritates...such is old age. I DO love rice crackers though...really love them!

    Ron

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ron:
      What would YOU know about old age?!? Too bad about the peanut butter, though.

      Delete
  9. Biting into an olive pit, thinking it's a peanut?
    ¿Como se dice "dentist" en espagnol?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dean:
      Yes, that was Tere's first reaction (well, after she laughed).

      Delete

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