A Hard Nut To Crack

One of my favorite snacks is rice crackers 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 cracker in Spanish, you simply need to find the translation for “packing material.” Instead of rice crackers (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.)

Author: Moving with Mitchell

From Brooklyn, New York; to North Massapequa; back to Brooklyn; Brockport, New York; back to Brooklyn... To Boston, Massachusetts, where I met Jerry... To Marina del Rey, California; Washington, DC; New Haven and Guilford, Connecticut; San Diego, San Francisco, Palm Springs, and Santa Barbara, California; Las Vegas, Nevada; Irvine, California; Sevilla, Spain. And Fuengirola, Málaga..

19 thoughts on “A Hard Nut To Crack”

  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.

  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!

  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!

  4. 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

  5. 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

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