Friday, July 19, 2013

FOOD POEMS BY VALERIE WORTH

Wee me (left), sister Lynn & baby brother MicaJon enjoying a snack
*This post is dedicated to the wonderful, food-n-poetry-loving Jama Rattigan!

Happy Poetry Friday! Haiku Queen Jone has Roundup over at Check it Out. Today I'm continuing my celebration of Valerie Worth's work with poems about food. See the left sidebar for other Valerie Worth posts!

potatoes

Because of each
Knob and knot,
Hump and dimple
And dusty gnarl,

No potato is quite
Like any other--
Until all are pared
Smooth and pale,

Boiled tender, and
Mashed up together:
A single soft beauty
In their bowl.

 - Valerie Worth

My favorite way to prepare potatoes is to cut them into chunks, toss them with some olive oil, salt, pepper and fresh rosemary, then roast in the oven. I also love McDonald's french fries, creamy mashed potatoes and baked potatoes with butter and sour cream. Really, is there a bad way to prepare potatoes?! 


egg

Somehow the hen,
Herself all quirk
And freak and whim,

Manages to make
This egg, as pure
And calm as stone:

All for the sake
Of a silly chick,
Another squawking hen.

 - Valerie Worth

For breakfast, I prefer my eggs over easy -- though I rarely eat breakfast except as supper! (I'm a cereal girl.) Sometimes I get a crazy craving for deviled eggs - I love to add a little onion, a little mustard, some sweet relish and some paprika dusted on top.


pie

After the yellow-white
Pie dough is rolled out
Flat, and picked up
Dropping like a round
Velvet mat, fitted gently
Into the dish, and piled
With sliced, sugared,
Yellow-white apples
Covered with still another
Soft dough-blanket,
The whole thing trimmed
And tucked in tight, then
It is all so neat, so
Thick and filled and fat,
That we could happily
Eat it up, even
Before it is cooked.

 - Valerie Worth

Pie! Oh my goodness, pie makes me very happy. :) At our favorite barbeque restaurant, they serve lemon, chocolate, banana and coconut, each with a cream topping. (Lately, I'm on a coconut kick.) And oh, fruit pies! I love cobblers: peach and strawberry are tops on my list.

asparagus

Like a nest
Of snakes
Awakened, craning
Long-necked

Out of the
Ground: to stand
With sharp
Scaly heads

Alert, tasting
The air,
Taking the sun,
Looking around.

 - Valerie Worth

Okay, asparagus. I love fresh, baby asparagus --  not those thick, slimy ones! I like to roast it in the oven with olive oil and Tony Chachere's creole seasoning until it's kind of crispy-brown.

How do YOU like your potatoes, eggs, pie & asparagus?? I'm always looking for new recipe ideas. :)

6 comments:

  1. Love these. I've been reading lots of Valerie Worth too. I love how carefully and surprisingly she looks at things.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi, Irene. The poem "potatoes" is so rich with sound and wordplay. Delicious to read out loud!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Worth does the wordplay so wonderfully. I think I say this every week, Irene, and then each time, you're sharing more terrific ones. I'm not sure I have anything different from your own prep; I do the deviled eggs just the same, & taking them to a potluck is always a hit. I love your potatoes, & lately have been doing more sweet potatoes-love them too. (Now I'm hungry!) Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Such fresh imagery! You wouldn't think there would be so many new things to say about food, but Worth doesn't disappoint. You sound like a very good cook, Irene. My son loves when I fix him two fried eggs and put a slice of cheese in the middle. My younger daughter likes to help me can apple pie filling in the fall. So so good!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Irene! It's nearly 11 pm where I am now (at a glorious beach resort) and I am suddenly hungry just reading all these food poems! I also think instantly of Jama whenever there's a blend of literature/poetry and luscious food. :) I hope she gets to read this soon. Eggs benedict is my favourite. :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. I imagine Jama's enjoying her summer blog break, but no doubt she'd be honored by these wonderful food poems!

    Just for the record, if anyone ever wants to make me potatoes, PIE, or even eggs or baby asparagus (but not the thick slimy ones), I'll be your new BFF.

    ReplyDelete

Your thoughts?