Lamb Chop - Friday, April 6, 2007

Friday, April 6, 2007

Lamb Chop

I finally met my friend Jay's friend Josh. It was a long time coming, and let me tell you, we really became fast friends. Josh and Jay both share that caustic wit and sensibility that I always appreciate, and tonight they were especially on it. We shared some wine, and then went to Josh's house to watch "Lost". I really know nothing about this show I don't usually get drawn into that sort of thing, but really actually liked it. Now Jay wants me to come over and watch the whole first season with him. Perhaps I will.

Before I went to meet the two "J's", I went to one of my favorite diners - Malibu Diner, over on 23rd, between 6th and 7th Aves. I'm not quite sure why I like this diner in particular, because they have the same stuff that every other diner has. There's something about it, though. Maybe it's just that I have a lot of memories from there. Anyway, I ordered up my usual - chicken souvlaki - and proceeded to have a conversation with the waiter at the counter. I always sit at the counter, by the way. I don't quite know why, but that's just how it is. After commentating on a Discovery Channel show about cranberry harvesting, he started talking about how he was going to cook up a whole lamb for the Greek Orthodox Easter. I of course was intrigued, and had to ask about it, because only a few months ago I actually did the same thing. There's a picture of it on my photos page. I got a whole lamb from a distant cousin who has a sheep farm somewhere in Pennsylvania. He lives on the farm that was my Great, Great Grandfather's, so I guess the farm has been in my family since the early 1800's. Maybe earlier than that. That's a different story, though.

The waiter told me about his upcoming lamb roast, and then proceeded to tell me about how back in Greece, they used to roast suckling pigs. Here I was eating my souvlaki, when all of a sudden he was going into graphic detail about how his family would slaughter pigs and then roast them. Woah. This was his story - "I would offer the "little piggy" some milk. It would lap it up, then "Kabam!" I would knock it on its head with a sledge hammer until it was unconcious. Then I would take a very long knife and slit its throat, and then stab it in the heart. Then we would roast it on a spit, and it was the most lovely thing ever." Food for thought???

On the way home from hangin' with Jay, I got to talking to my cab driver about how he's from Lebanon. My Great Grandparents on my Mother's side are Lebanese, and I always love hearing about the country and the culture from an insider's point of view. From looking at me, you'd probably never guess that I have Arab ancestory. Let's just say the Scottish and Irish genes took over. I've never been to Lebanon before, but I've heard that it's an amazing place to visit. Seeing that right now isn't the best time to go there, I guess I'll go to Scotland instead. Or at least Texas again.