Fun Monday

Mariposa has asked two questions this Fun Monday. First is What's in a Name? Specifically, why we picked the name of our blogs, not why I have a cat named Sissie. The second is a food question. She wants to know what food we like most to eat or eat most often.

First Question:

Motes is about small things. Not necessarily connected or important things to anyone but me. I could have called it Pixel's Junk or What's in the Dumpster I Call a Brain?, but I didn't think it would get many readers (as if I have lots of readers now). It's not a stream of consciousness-type blog, or a writing-type blog. It's just random stuff about my life and the things I'm interested in. And most of these things are quite ordinary. It took a long time to find Motes as a name for my site. It just popped in my head one day. And that's how most of the posts are. Just thoughts that pop up about my life.

There are also real motes, teeny tiny wireless sensors that collect data. My blog has nothing to with that kind of mote. I don't know what they do.



Second Question:

This is so embarrassing. There was a time when I cooked real food and made real meals, and Mr. Pi and I would eat at the table like normal people. However, I have not cooked on a regular basis for years, literally. It's sad because Mr. Pi liked my cooking. Mr. Pi likes sushi and sashimi and such. Not me. I don't even eat fried shrimp or cooked fish, much less raw sea urchin ovaries or raw tuna dunked in wasabi.

I still make great homemade soup and chili, and can sometimes be coaxed to whip up a fake marinara (Paul Newman out of the jar, hot Italian sausage, some mushrooms, sweet red peppers, and a splash of red wine) for Mr. Pi's pasta. I always have to take some sauce out before the meat goes in, though.

Luckily, Mr. Pi has learned to do a reasonable amount of cooking and he's pretty good with the pasta thing, omelets, and stir fries. So when we get a chance to eat together, he cooks and I clean up. That's a fair trade in my book.

What we would both eat every night if I could wave a Magic Culinary Wand is Indian food. When I was much younger, my family knew an Indian couple who lived nearby, and my parents were friends with them. Fortunately, my mother was eager to learn Indian cooking, and that knowledge trickled down. I also collect Indian cookbooks. If it didn't take me hours to produce samosas, green curry, cabbage and potato curry, dal, and the yogurt cooler that makes it possible for me to actually eat the heat, I would make it more often.

So what we like to eat and actually do eat are very different. Especially since Mr. Pi eats dead animals and I try very hard not to.

Mrs. Gunslinger should have answered this question. She is a great gourmet cook and wine maven. Every time she comes to visit, she cooks up a storm of dishes for us to freeze and eat later, like risotto with champagne and mushrooms, and incredible baked potato wedges (her secret recipe). She has an open invitation to cook for us at any time.