Been kind of a cool, wet spring. Don’t get me wrong: I like the cool weather. I much prefer the coldest days of winter to the hottest days of summer. But it’s mid-May now. Time for sunshine and leafing and stuff.
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I enjoyed some edible warmth today in the form of the best Thai noodle dish, Drunkard’s Noodles from True Thai in Minneapolis. A friend and colleague who spends her vacations in Thailand volunteering at an orphanage calls True Thai the real deal. I don’t know about that, but I promise you that pain has never tasted better! Noodles, chicken, basil, onions, and plenty of dried chilis, seeds and all. Wow.
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A dear friend of mine who is actually a Minnesota native is my weather opposite. She lives for the hottest, most humid days of the year, when the air’s too thick and wet to breathe and you break a sweat sleeping. Kind of a tropical flower. Why she stays in the great white North, I’m not sure. But I’m grateful.
She loves the heat, and she plays the cello, and one day I got to thinking:
cello as chile
arms al fresco
slick with inspiration
she plucks and slices
the summer sun abundant
thick air ripe with possibility
her cello the fruit
resounding red
her bow a horsehair knife
j. thorp
10 june 04
It’s not the right time of year, perhaps, but her birthday was Sunday, and she likes Thai, too. So there. Belated happy birthday, my friend.
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Jodi went to visit another dear friend in Colorado a couple weeks back, and brought me home a surprise: a cookbook called The Red Chili Bible. Looks like great recipes. Another reason for warm weather: the chilis need sunshine!
Archangel Stomp 
Your commentary on chilis reminds me of an observation I mad while studying Spanish in Mexico. As I see it, there are three great Mexican lies.
In the first, you ask, “Do you know where suchandsunch is?” They will invariably respond, “Si, sigue derecho.” (Yes, just keep going straight.) This is usually not helpful.
The second lie is related to the first. Upon being told to keep going forward, you might ask “Is it close?” They will respond, of course it is.” This answer requires that you follow up with the question, “Can I walk there?” The answer is almost always, no, you can't walk.” In Mexico, if you can't walk there, it isn't close.
The final Mexican lie, however is their response to the query, “Is this food spicy?” With a straight face, they will tell that it is not spicy, and then tranquilly stand by as your face melts.
I love Mexico.
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