Firsts

Having been raised by a good home cook who was slightly snobby, I had never been exposed before I left home to such plebeian food as KFC and corn dogs. She basically turned up her nose at all foods that were served in a plastic basket. Her children were something of a trial to her as we all loved TV dinners, gooshy white bread, iceberg lettuce and bologna from a plastic package.

My Beloved was astonished when he learned that I had never been to KFC; he took me there shortly after I moved to California. I haven't been back but I like that my experience has been broadened.

On my recent trip to the East coast, my sister and I stopped at a restaurant in North Carolina which shall remain anonymous and I found on the menu at last a chance to sample a corn dog. It came with French fries and a very sour pickle, a tube steak wrapped in a sort of cornbread blanket, impaled on a stick and deep fried. You may recall that I'm a big fan of hot dogs, so I enjoyed my corn dog very much. This is not "gourmet" food but it's good food, hot and sweet from the cornbread and salty from the hot dog. The fries were done the way I like them, crispy on the outside, creamy in the middle with just a hint of salt. It was served in a plastic basket lined with greaseproof paper and brought to the table by a waitress who called me "Sweetie." Southern hospitality has my vote.