Yee-tahf-tal!

"Yee-tahf-tal" is the phonetic, English spelling of the Amharic word "delicious". And  food truly is delicious, is it not? In fact, throughout the two and one half years that Genet has been in America I have forgotten much of the Amharic that i learned prior to her homecoming, but "yee-tahf-tal" is definitely one of the words branded into my memory. After all, it is one of the top five exclamations! Right up there with "ow!" and "oh my gosh!" and "Alyssa, get off me!". 
Anyway, this post (which was written when i was hungry...and not really centered around a point. I'ts really just an articulation of my general appreciation for food) is dedicated to...Food! Food! Food! I love it! Oh my goodness, it's just spectacular! Colorful! Tasty! There are so many options, when it comes to food. So many different types of goodness associated with different parts of the country, and parts of the world! Some of my mom's fav food is to be found in China Town, in Chicago, the deliciousness of which is too great to be duplicated by just any Chinese Buffet. And then there's the "physical form of joy", also known as Rysgrysvalling (if you can pronounce that correctly on the first attempt then i will give you....a hug. Maybe. But definitely my congratulations), which makes an appearance on Christmas morning at our house, thanks to my Swedish heritage. It's something like a swedish rice pudding that is cinnamon flavored...the epitome of "yee-tahf-tal". Spicy Ethiopian doro wat (chicken stew with lots and lots of "bera bera"...a really spicy seasoning which i'm not really sure how to spell the English way) with injera (a spongy, slightly sour bread that is shaped like a big tortilla) is definitely among the top ten dishes of the world. And how can i forget that surprisingly sweet, carrot sort of concoction at the Indian restaurant on Devon in Chicago? Mexican food is the bomb, too, as you know if you've ever tasted so much as one bite of a burrito. And you must credit the best of all beef to our friends down in Argentina, especially if you've ever tried a milanesa (a breaded steak, kind of, which Peter made for us when he got home from a trip to Argentina, a while ago). Of course we must not neglect everything Italian, from pizza (ah!) to lasagna rollata al forno (which I've only ever had twice at Olive Garden, but it's quite tasty). And, oh my goodness, my mouth starts watering intensely when i let my mind wander to the hummus, pita bread, and falafel (i'm not sure if i can even describe what falafel is, aside from saying it is delectable) at Dawali...which is a Mediterranean restaurant in Chicago. Scrumptious! And of course there's seafood. Shrimp and lovely, sweet, lobster are my favorites. Plus anything barbecue well get my heart pumping. And ice cream! Ice cream is a food group in itself! Oh my, Ben and Bill's Chocolate Emporium in Bar Harbor is the place to be. Where else can you get something so amazing like their Husky Lovers' flavor or something exotic like Lobster Ice Cream! And peanut butter. Peanut butter cups, peanut butter fudge, the timeless classic pb&j, and the little bits of heaven called peanut butter popcorn! Yummm. And have i ever mentioned that I'm a chocoholic? Extra-dark is the best. A mention of Ghiradelli or Lindt or even just good ol' Hershey is enough to send chills of delight down my spine. So anyway...from lobster to steak to Alyssa's forever favorite, Mac n Cheese (which technically falls under Italian but i guess deserves an honorable mention)....I LOVE FOOD. In moderation of course...or so they say.