Friday, May 20, 2011

Not-so-strange Cravings

I mentioned in the last post that I haven't had any strange cravings, but I am back to having my normal cravings. I've always wanted what I want when I want it when it comes to food. I get hankerings for different types of food like Mexican, Chinese, or Indian. Right now everything I can think of that I want to eat is not in my house. And there is plenty of food in my house to eat.

At the moment I am craving food from what my husband and I affectionately call the "taco truck." Its real name is Taqueria El Cazador, located at 3414 Governors Drive in Huntsville. It is actually a bus not a truck. Oh my does it have good food. They serve authentic Mexican food (I'm assuming it's more authentic and I've been told it is...I've never been to Mexico)that comes with delicious spicy pickled carrots, onions, and jalapenos. I usually order the chicken enchilada meal or the chicken tacos or tostadas. I participated in a friend's post on Facebook about the "taco truck" the other day. Now when I see anybody else on Facebook who also posted about the "taco truck" I immediately want to get in the car and go get some tacos. It's going to be really hard not to go to that bus tonight. I usually go to a Mexican grocery store right down the road from the bus and grab a Mexican lime soda to accompany my meal so I'm craving that as well.

I also get cravings for very specific things from not-so-near restaurants like beef nachos from El Palacio in Ozark, AL (5 hours away)or shrimp, crab claws, and onion rings from McLins in Daleville, AL (also about 5 hours away). My husband and I both still get cravings for dishes we ate while we were in Italy. Some days I think hopping a plane and flying upwards of fourteen hours would be worth it just to have stewed rabbit from Cibreo in Florence and a glass (or three) of delicious Italian red wine.

Worse than craving food that is clear across the state (or the world)is getting cravings for food that I can no longer get no matter how far I drive or fly. For example, craving food from restaurants that are no longer in business. Jade Palace, a wonderful Chinese restaurant that was in Huntsville until a few years ago, made the best Kung Pao dishes. They even made it with tofu and extra vegetables just for me. Mayas, a Mexican restaurant in my hometown of Enterprise, AL had some of the best Mexican food I've ever tasted. It closed several years ago as well, but that hasn't stopped me from craving everything from there including the salsa.

I also frequently crave food that both my grandmothers made. I often long for my maternal grandmother's chocolate pie and my paternal grandmother's fried chicken, spaghetti, banana pudding, and chocolate layer cake. Even if I had the exact recipes for some of these things, they just would not be the same.

Now that my appetite has returned my cravings seem to be heightened. I am very susceptible to suggestion (like the Facebook-induced cravings mentioned above). Whenever I see someone on television drinking wine I want some (really crappy since I'm pregnant and can't have alcohol). I watched the entire Twin Peaks series on Netflix recently and the characters on the show were always drinking coffee and eating cherry pie. I still want me some cherry pie. I've never even had cherry pie before, but I really want some. I'm not a big fan of coffee either, but watching them drink coffee made me want some too.

Well, I shouldn't complain. At least I am eating and enjoying food again.

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