Notes from Nan
by HF Contributing Writer, Nan Parati

Hey guess what y’all!

Mary’s back from her vacation (yea!) and she has inexplicably brought with her a notion to make a bonified SOUTHERN dinner this week! (continuing our dinners from around the world, I reckon.) So what we’re going to have is this:

Friday Night Menu (08/17/07):

• Oven-fried chicken
• Coleslaw
• Made from Scratch Biscuits and gravy
• Creamed local corn right off the cob
• Sweet tea

Vegetarians can not have any chicken but they do get a serving of Macaroni and Cheese with their meals and, of course, Sean Skalski and the other little kids can have Mac-n-cheese. And for dessert Mary’s just-good-as-Lemons in love Lemon Mousse!

Next week (08/24/07):

We’re going pure-tee local. Local, local, local foods—no interlopers from the outside world. Just Ashfield grown, Ashfield raised, Ashfield made. Cool, huh? We’ll have tastings of Paul and Amy’s (of Sidehill Farm in Ashfield’s) new long-awaited yogurt … and I don’t know what all else. Watch this space for an updated notion next week!

On the store front:

Now, over in our grocery department on aisle 18 we have a special this week on Coffee (the same coffee we serve at our counter) on several new blends. They come in beans, but we can grind them for you. (which reminds me of a good story):

(By the way—isn’t the semi-colon supposed to go inside the parenthesis? Every time I type it that way the computer turns it into a cloying smiley face. Can I get an editor here? Where does the colon go?)

Here’s the story:

In the New Orleans French Quarter, on the corner of Saint Peter and Royal Streets sits the world’s smallest A&P store—which also sells more groceries per square foot than any other A&P in America. Back when I first moved to New Orleans in the early eighties that A&P was managed by a man named Mr. Bushie.

Mr. Bushie’s office was a raised platform with half-walls so that from his desk he could see the entire store and all that went on in its crowded aisles. Whenever he saw anyone up to no good he would announce their misdeeds over the intercom as in, “Shoplifter in aisle 3. There’s a shoplifter in aisle 3.” The aisles were usually so crowded that it would be impossible for the thief to get away and so store security was generally able to move in and nab the miscreant.

We entertained ourselves well in those days.

Upcoming events at Elmer’s:

• Saturday, August 25th 3pm-5pm, Manfred Gabriel and the Irish Session Band.
• Sunday, September 2nd 3pm-5pm, Art Opening with works by Bob Markey and Elizabeth Keyes.
• Saturday, Sept. 8th 7:30 – 11pm, Elmer’s Second Annual Street Dance with live Big Band Music by the Hot Pepper Band! Whether you dance or just want to listen, it’s going to be fun—and cheap! Tickets available at Elmer’s.

Come on in for dinner, y’all!

Big E

Nan Parati Nan is the proprietor of Elmer’s Store in Ashfield, MA. A New England transplant from the Deep South, Nan shares her southern wit, wisdom and charm every week in her column, “Notes from Nan.” Share dinner with her every Friday at Elmer’s. Each weeks menu posted with her column. nanparati@aol.comPrevious Notes from Nan & Related Posts: