For George

For George

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Half way between high-tech and high-art, I met the ghost of George Carlin. I snapped this photo on Friday at MeMe’s Cafe in New Hamburg, Ontario, a small town between Kitchener-Waterloo, (home of the BlackBerry®) and Stratford (home to Canada’s Shakespearean Festival). Amidst cheese scones, oatmeal cookies, date bars and butter tarts, sat Tits of the Andes. I embarrassed myself laughing.

A couple of weeks ago, this post wouldn’t have happened. I’d have noticed the above item, smiled and turned my attention back to ordering my latte. But Carlin’s recent and surprising death has breathed new life into his classic routine, “Seven Words You Can’t Say on Television.” Upon hearing the news of Carln’s passing, I hopped on over to YouTube and had a blast from my past. I’d forgotten that “tit” was verboten. Heck, I’ve been a card-carrying member of the Itty-Bitty-Titty Committee since… well, since I was old enough to envy a C cup. Now, I can see how a few of the terms Carlin rhymes off would be offensive, but why on earth would the TV police target a word with all the shock value of “bum”?

So when I saw the saucily-named plate of white-capped chocolate macaroons, I just had to indulge in an impromptu photo shoot. When I asked MeMe if the dessert raised eyebrows, she told me she’s been serving them for quite a while, and despite 19 churches in a 5 km radius, no one has complained. In fact, according to MeMe, an 84-year-old church-going patron makes a point of buying two for her husband, who gets a school boy kick out of saying, “MeMe’s got the best tits in town.”

So, for the comedy and coconut lovers out there, here’s a simple recipe for chocolate macaroons. If you make them, pile ’em high and have two for George. I think he’d like that.

No Comments
  • Cheryl
    Posted at 10:56h, 30 June

    I saw the picture first, then read the caption, then had to creatively explain to my kids why I was laughing so damn hard. (Uh oh, is “damn” one of the 7 verboten words?)

    What a great way to start the week. And another reason to carry the damn (uh oh, i did it again) camera with you all the time.

  • ClaireWalter
    Posted at 11:25h, 30 June

    I’m afraid I’m not a coconut lover, but I appreciate this wonderful foodie tribute to a treasured funnyman. It the US, the evangelicals’ prudishness has been no laughing matter. Bush II’s first attorney general, John Ashcroft, ordered the state of Justice to be draped to cover her bare breast. It can be considered symbolic that the cloth probably covered the scales of justice too. We will all miss Carlin’s zingy humor and basic good sense.

    Claire @ http://culinary-colorado.blogspot.com

  • ClaireWalter
    Posted at 11:26h, 30 June

    Ooops. I meant statUE of Justice. I really should get into the habit of clicking the preview button.

  • Debbie Spadafaore
    Posted at 08:03h, 01 July

    I just loved this “Christie’s Corner” entry. Thanks for the tribute to George. What a great comedian. I’ll never forget rhyming those “bad words” off when I was a kid. What fun! I’ll really miss him. (And I love macaroons, too.) Thanks Charmian.

  • We Are Never Ful
    Posted at 15:30h, 01 July

    hilarious! and, dare I say, I’d like to take a bite out of one?