Old-Fashioned

Old-fashioned: behind the times, outdated, antiquated. A term used to describe those who may not be on the “up and up”, so to speak. A term I’ve often used to describe members of my own family, if it suited me. You see, I’ve called myself a Southerner from time to time around these parts, but I certainly never claimed to be a ‘Southern Belle’.

What I do claim to be, by some accounts, is old-fashioned. Let me explain.

When I started writing this blog, I was about three classes into culinary school. I’d found a passion for food, for culinary education, for mastering difficult techniques in the kitchen, and along with all those things, a propensity toward spending copious amounts of money buying Dutch ovens, food processors, and pretty plates. I was hooked, and I have no idea how it happened.

I didn’t always love to cook. Food throughout my childhood was Monday (or Wednesday) Meatloaf, Friday Fried Chicken, Saturday Steak (medium-rare, please), and so on. On Sundays, we’d drive to Gramma’s and we’d eat loads of chicken pastry and cornbread. Gramma always had one of those fresh pound cakes sitting in the clear display case that owned the spot on the corner of the counter, the same counter whose above cabinet housed the box of oatmeal cream pies. I ate a sizable chunk of that cake every weekend, and in the summer I spooned strawberry syrup all over it. I loved that cake, and I loved those Sunday dinners, but I never wanted to make them myself. At least, not then.

What I wanted to do was set myself apart from my so-called old-fashioned family. I didn’t want to get married out of high school, I didn’t want to go to college in my hometown, and I surely did not want to have a hot meal on the table for my husband every night. So I moved away from home and went to college, and then I moved to Chicago and attended graduate school. In short, I achieved my goal of not doing things the ‘old-fashioned’ way.

But this food thing, it eventually caught up with me, and I found myself in culinary school as a hobby. A hobby. Blogging was not in this new plan of mine – I didn’t want to ‘waste my time’ tossing recipes online when I could cook instead. I didn’t want to write about how tasty my dinner was or how much I enjoyed eating at the newest restaurant in town. And photographer extraordinaire, I was not, nor did I want to be (not that I am now, either).

Grudgingly, one day I gave it a try. I wrote a post, and then I wrote a few more. It was alright, at first; it was strange, too. I had no idea who was reading this stuff, and what they might think about me. Hell, who knew if anyone read it. Somewhere along the line, I realized my blog was more than a food blog, more than a recipe and a half-assed picture. It was a story, a collection of essays about me, and as it turns out, I had (and have) quite a bit to say. I still wonder if people want to hear it, but I know some do, and I know I want to write it. I know that, at the end of the day, writing here has changed who I am, and I’m glad for that. These posts – they serve as a vehicle for so many emotions, so many ideas, thoughts, even annoyances. This blog, in a nutshell, is me. Take it or leave it.

And while [some of] my family may be ‘old-fashioned’, I love them so, and I’m thankful for the memories we’ve had, and those we continue to make. I am thankful for that pound cake, for the Southern cornbread, and on some level, I’m even thankful for the collards I never ate.

Old-fashioned: [a cocktail] containing spirit, bitters, fruit, etc.

Need I say more?

A Gingered Old-Fashioned

word on the street is there is only one “right” way to make an Old-Fashioned. But according to the definition above, this counts. It seems to me that bourbon is always good with ginger beer, and so while this may not be your traditional “old-fashioned”, it works just fine for me, and probably for you as well.

ingredients

• 1 sugar cube
• 1-2 dashes Angostura bitters
• 2 ounces bourbon
• ginger beer
• orange slice & cherry, for garnish

instructions

place sugar cube in bottom of small glass. add bitters and muddle to dissolve sugar cube. add ice and bourbon, fill with desired amount of ginger beer. garnish with orange slice and cherry. drink often .

Random Posts

Tags: bitters, bourbon, ginger beer, old-fashioned