Liver!

Liver and onions have always been one of my favorite dishes and I have come to understand that people either love it or hate it. I have never come across anyone who can take-it or leave-it.

When I was growing up, my grandmother always told me that the best liver to eat was lamb liver, but by the time I was growing up, the slaughterhouse down the road rarely ever slaughtered lamb and when they did it was for a private customer. Years ago, I gave up on ever experiencing the delicacy my grandmother described.

A few weeks ago at the farmer's market I came across a booth that sold fresh, grass fed lamb and asked if they sold the livers.

They do!

But they were out.

I try to eat whatever my body is craving. I think it knows better than I do exactly what my body needs in nutrients. Nevertheless, knowing one of my fantasy foods was in reach only fed a growing craving for liver smothered in onion. Nothing satisfied. The craving grew to a desperation as week after week, the lamb vendor arrived at the market without liver.

Finally, yesterday they had some packages of liver!

I couldn't wait to get home from church and a study group tonight to make it.

My grandmother was right! I have often been disappointed when I had the chance to satisfy a craving, but this time brought no disappointment. The lamb liver has such a subtle, yet full flavor. I had to stop myself before I ate the entire liver.

Tonight, I am going to sleep well and satisfied.

Chip Boy

As I have mentioned before, La Feria is a favorite Friday night destination for some friends and me. The food is certainly not the best, but it has just the right mix of convenience, price, atmosphere, and quality to make it the right place to choose on a Friday night after a full work week.

Another thing it has is cute waiters.

Unlike many places where the service staff all has nametags, the staff at La Feria is adorned only in black pants and white shirts.

Because of this relative anonymity of the staff, we have come up with names for them. Our regular waitress is slowpoke – a name she has not overcome since her first days at the restaurant. She’s our regular waitress because she regularly forgets to charge us for chips and salsa and to upgrade my queso order. There is also leather-daddy because we all know what he has on underneath and what we would be in for if we ever were invited to his apartment (he’s not really attractive, but deep down we all want to be invited to his place).

My favorite, though, is Chip Boy.

Chip Boy knows the flirtatious glance and smile, but he has mastered the perfect swish with his hips to verify his sexuality, to invite the extra glance, and to dismiss himself as unattainable in that one perfected move.

I’ve seen him at the bars: I know his sexuality.

I don’t hide my flirtatious stare.

I’m vain enough to fantasize beyond the attainable.

I would certainly go to La Feria on Friday nights if he was no longer working there, but the flirtatious dance adds to the cheap pleasures that a Friday night happy hour affords. Fantasy adds to the joys in life that we may never achieve and keeps us striving for more.

I like my fantasy life.

Friday Night Favorite

Most Friday evenings you will find a regular crowd dining and drinking at LaFeria. It's almost a tradition for M., G., and I as it is with so many others we see

Actually - it's a bad week for LaFeria if we are all there only one time. I'll admit it - I'm addicted to chips and salsa.