Colin Stewart Jones - Tequila Shots

What a pleasant surprise to wake up to the sound of rain on the roof of Poet’s Cottage this morning. Methinks it’ll be a good day to hibernate on the couch to read, write and maybe catch another Harry Potter movie with my daughter. I may even stay in my jam jams today. I have no place to be, no appointments looming on the horizon.

Of course I’ll have to cook something; I love to dabble in my kitchen. Perhaps chicken noodle soup or a loaf of fresh baked bread, rum raisin oatmeal cookies are certainly a possibility. Part of what makes a home special are the inviting smells that greet you at the door. I want people to walk into my home and feel as if they are home.

I posted the following about my grandmother on Facebook recently. Originally published in The Dead Mule School of Southern Literature, I think it best surmises why it’s important for me to give my children fond memories of a warm home with tasty foods and delectable odors.

Southern Legitimacy Statement #4

My Granny Stephens cooked on a woodstove: pinto beans and turnip greens seasoned in fatback, fried potatoes, cornbread, biscuits and gravy served with fresh out of the barn yard fried chicken. Occasionally, I was sent down into the cellar to retrieve jars of canned tomatoes, chow chow, or icicle pickles. We'd have southern-style tea and lemonade, sweet, succulent, better than store-bought soda pop. And if you could discipline yourself and not overeat, you'd save room for peach cobbler or fried apple pie. Granny knew her woodstove inside-out, top to bottom, and was a master at creating a large delicious meal out of very little food…sort of like what Jesus did with a few fish and a loaf of bread. You had the feeling that something holy had been conjured-up when you sat down at Granny's table, which is another reason we said grace before every meal.

Published in the July 2010 issue of  The Dead Mule School of Southern Literature.

My pal Colin Stewart Jones has a recipe and a poem to share.

Tequila Shots

Ingredients:

1 - 2 bottles of tequila

6 - 8 limes

salt

and add some friends

As with all recipes the quality of the ingredients is paramount:

Gold tequila is best; Cuervo is a very good reasonably priced option and for this recipe two bottles are better.

Limes should be unwaxed; washing the limes is not mandatory as the alcohol should take care of any germs or bugs the limes may harbour.

The salt can be any old salt you have around the house; sea salt is good for flavour but not essential and does increase the preparation time as it must be crushed first . . .

Preparation:

Halve each lime along its length and then cut into slices.

Fill your salt shaker.

Ensure you have enough clean shot glasses for each of your friends.

* If you are drinking alone have at least two glasses to cut down on the preparation time.

Unscrew your bottle of tequila and fill each shot glasses with around 50 ml of tequila.

Method:

Lick the back of your hand and sprinkle some salt on it.
The more salt the better as this will increase your blood pressure.
Lick the salt from the back of your hand

Neck a shot of tequila

Pick up a slice of lime and sink your teeth into it making sure you are squeezing all the juice from the lime in the one fluid movement.

Repeat the process as and when required.

Cooking Time:

Depends on your capacity for alcohol but is usually instantaneous.

The effects can last into the next day.

salt and lime

gimme salt and lime every time
‘cause it keeps the scurvy away,
you see
it’s the only fruit I eat
but oh how I love to drink
Tequila all of the time

if ever a drink was mine
then Mescal does just fine
I love the worm
for protein of course
 …it tastes like peanuts
and a little Mexican earth

dos tequila por favor
keep ‘em coming
I want more