La versión en español está después de la versión en inglés.
I am hesitant to put this in writing, but I do believe I might maybe, possibly, be on the mend — potentially. I haven’t had a fever since Sunday night. My temperature has been mostly below 36C / 97F, which seems odd. But it was 36.7 / 98.2 at one point, which is fine. So maybe it will normalize today. We almost went to Urgent Care after lunch because I think we’ve both gotten a bit neurotic about this. But, I took a shower and am feeling so much better. No more paracetamol. San Geraldo went to Mesón Salvador with Nick and Alyson last night. He felt guilty about it. I was grateful he went, but frustrated I couldn’t even consider joining them. Tonight will be different. For now, something new. A siesta.
Here’s another meal we enjoyed with SG’s cousins. This was at nearby Taberna El Callejon. Always exceptional. And the cousins enjoyed everything. We were delighted (maybe gleeful) to introduce them to “gula.” Coming from the word “angula,” which means “baby eel,” gula is fish pasta, Japanese surimi, invented in 1991 as a result of the overfishing of baby eels and, hence, the absurd prices. In the state of Maine in the United States, I think they currently sell for over $2,000 a pound. So someone in Japan invented a machine that would process fish and make it look like baby eels. It’s actually quite delicious and some say has been so perfected that it’s sometimes impossible to tell the difference between gula and angula. To us, it looks like a bowl of worms, which can be off-putting. San Geraldo, who ate ducks’ feet and snake skins in China can’t bring himself to eat gula. The cousins had no problem. And, this time, neither did I.
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Dudo en poner esto por escrito, pero creo que posiblemente, quizás, podría estar mejorando — potencialmente. No he tenido fiebre desde el domingo por la noche. Mi temperatura ha estado mayormente por debajo de 36C / 97F, lo que parece extraño. Pero fue 36.7 / 98.2 en un punto, lo cual está bien. Así que tal vez se normalice hoy. Casi fuimos a Urgencias después del almuerzo porque creo que ambos estamos un poco neuróticos por esto. Pero me duché y me siento mucho mejor. No más paracetamol. San Geraldo fue a Mesón Salvador con Nick y Alyson anoche. Se sintió culpable por ello. Estaba agradecido de que fuera, pero frustrado, ni siquiera podía considerar unirme a ellos. Esta noche será diferente. Ahora, algo nuevo. Una siesta.
Aquí hay otra comida que disfrutamos con los primos de SG. Esto fue en la cercana Taberna El Callejón. Siempre excepcional. Y los primos disfrutaron de todo. Estábamos encantados (tal vez alegres) de presentarles la “glotonería”. Procedente de la palabra “angula”, que significa “baby anguila”, gula es pasta de pescado, surimi japonés, inventado en 1991 a raíz de la sobrepesca de las baby anguilas y, por tanto, de los precios absurdos. En el estado de Maine en los Estados Unidos, creo que actualmente se venden a más de $2,000 la libra. Así que alguien en Japón inventó una máquina que procesaba pescado y lo hacía parecer anguilas. En realidad, es bastante delicioso y algunos dicen que se ha perfeccionado tanto que a veces es imposible distinguir la diferencia entre gula y angula. Para nosotros, parece un tazón de gusanos, lo que puede ser desagradable. San Geraldo, que comía patas de pato y pieles de serpiente en China, no se atreve a comer gula. Los primos no tuvieron problema. Y, esta vez, yo tampoco.
• Puedo hacer gula. No puedo hacer ostras crudas. Como comer mucosa.
• Tortillitas de camarones.
• Pulpo frito.
• Boquerones a limón.
• Berenjenas con miel de caña.
• Hamburguesitas de rabo de toro.
I learned the “Eating Worms” song when I was a kid, but I must say our version had much simpler lyrics than this video version. My favourite part was doing enthusiastic sound effects in the chorus —
“First you bite their heads off — CRUNCH!
Then you suck their guts out — SLUUUUUUURP!
Oh how they wiggle and squir-ir-ir-irm!
Big fat juicy ones,
Long slim slimy ones,
Itsy-bitsy oozey-goozey wor-or-orms!”
Debra:
The lyrics I knew were much simpler, too. Of all I found on YouTube, not one was exactly like another.
The ‘baby eels’ industry is very big her in Nova Scotia for the Asian market.
I have not tried them. It has been a while since I had raw oysters…..love them.
Jim:
The first and miniscule taste I had of gula was our first year in Sevilla. They weren’t as realistic looking nor as tasty as these.
We adore boquerones, always try to have some on every trip to Spain. The rest looks scrummy, too!
The “worms” do look a little off-putting served like that, but I’d still eat them (especially given the fact that over-fishing of baby eels even here in the UK has led to a steep decline in the availability of the adult variety; an old East End delicacy). One thing I loathe is raw oysters – I’m with you on that. They have the texture and taste of the kind of snotty phlegm you get if a wave goes up your nose while you’re swimming in the sea… Jx
Jon:
I was the only one at the table who doesn’t like raw oysters. But the 14-year-old ordered them for herself.
I must say, the “worms” don’t look appetizing to me. I just went back and read your most recent posts. I am so sorry that you have been sick. I hope this finds you feeling much better.
mcpersonalspace54:
We probably need to stop calling the worms. Maybe that would help. Then again, the word “eel” doesn’t sound any more appealing.
I’ve never liked seafood in any form or fashion, and given I have an irrational fear/phobia of worms, I could barely look at that dish! I hope you’ve kept the fever at bay and can get back to your regular routine!
Kelly:
Ooh, sorry about the seafood and worm pictures!
I am usually around 97 degrees as a normal resting temp. I would try those, is there anything I won’t eat? Yes, but not much (boiled collard greens turn me off.)
David:
I have a few turn-offs. Collard greens is definitely one.
I’d pass on the gula. and the oysters; the rest seems like a fine meal!
Bob:
I’d say close your eyes and taste the gula. But it feels like you’ve got worms in your mouth.
I like you and your blog, and I love to eat, but even I wouldn’t touch that first picture with an iron gut and ten-inch pole. Looks very gross and unappetizing. But I too never cared for eel either, especially since I was tricked once into eating spiced snake once.
Agnes Goldberg-DeWoofs:
(I’ve always loved your name. Are you from a long line of Goldberg-DeWoofs?)
There really is no way to sell the non-believer on gula. It looks like worms. Feels like worms. It doesn’t really matter how good it tastes. I have never eaten snake and can’t imagine doing so… although I’ve been told it tastes like chicken.
EWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!! That is all.
Deedles:
Gula is sold frozen in the supermarket. Maybe I could ship you some in a freezer pack.
Lay back down, Scoot. You’re obviously still sick! I was actually ewing the whole fishapalooza. I’ve eaten real worms baked in cookies. Not bad.
Deedles:
How could I be so dense? Of course you’d eat real worms baked in cookies but would have a problem with all seafood.
I love fried seafood and fried veggies. Gives me an idea for an upcoming meal…
Walt the Fourth:
Can’t wait to see what you come up with.
I’m reminded of the Peanuts strip where Snoopy is trying to eat, but every time he lowers his head to the dish, Woodstock starts talking in bird language (“Illllllllllll”) and then giggles. Snoopy finally says (or thinks), “Don’t you hate it when someone jokes about worms when you’re trying to eat spaghetti?”
Kirk:
LOL. I’ll mention gula the next time SG is having spaghetti.
Hmmmm…not sure I’d opt for the “worms.” As for the real angula, I think if something is so overfished its price hits the stratosphere that’s a sign humanity should stop eating it! Common sense, right?!
Steve:
I agree with you about the angula. My guess is the people who have it now just do it so they can tell us they can. Ridiculous.
If it looks like a worm and squirms like a worm….
Sassybear:
And quacks like a worm…
Having majored in biology with a (morbid) curiosity about parasites, I can say a) they are everywhere and b) no point in trying to emulate them in eating as there are plenty already.
Urspo:
I wasn’t concerned about parasites with the fish pasta.