What's for dinner tonight | Sandwich cultural revenge.

[Heidi]

Several years ago, after I first came to Switzerland, my mother-in-law-to-be asserted to me that Americans really don't know anything about food and snarkily commented that all we Americans ever eat is "sandwiches or McDonalds." For the next several years, I _never_ bought sandwich stuff or subjected her son, Call Me Wesley, to the American scourage of sandwiches or McDonalds.

For the past three weeks, though, this is what I've bought and prepared for dinner:
- Soft, mini-breads and "silserbrötli" from the bakery
- Thin-sliced mortadella
- Thin-sliced prosciutto (dry-cured ham)
- Brie and "bergkäse"
- Iceberg and red lettuce, sliced tomatoes and sweet onions, and pickles sliced length-wise, dijon mustard and real mayonnaise
- Plain, salted tortilla chips with a mild red salsa, or light potato chips

Last Friday night, I made a plate of mini-breads, mortadella, prosciutto, condiments and chips for my mother-in-law and she nearly fainted with enjoyment and delight.

I think I won.

[Omphaloskepsis]

1. You go girl!

[Heidi]

2. Hahahahaha!

I've worked 80-hour weeks for the past three weeks AND did all the grocery shopping. Anyone complainin' about _this_ sandwich assortment on a Friday night is _due_ an ass-whoopin' of the Heidi-esque variety.

[Omphaloskepsis]

7. You need a vacation..

Come to Oregon. You and CMW can sleep on my couch. I will feed you grilled cheese sandwiches and place bunny slippers on you and CMW's feet when they get cold.

I'm going to go sit outside and get drunk while I look at the sun.. My mom is convinced this type of behavior is unhealthy. I disagree.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. My dear Heidi!

Indeed, you did win!

I don't remember who said it, but methinks this quote is highly appropriate:

Revenge is a dish best served/eaten cold!

You go girl indeed!

CMW is one lucky man...


BTW, your card will not be there by Christmas...but get it you will, sweetie!

[Heidi]

10. I was teasing about the "revenge" thing.

I do adore my mother-in-law, but she used to have some pretty funky ideas about Americans.

Thank you in advance for the card, Peggy!

[Neoma]

4. Sounds good.

[ceile]

5. "mountain cheese"

What kind is that? A hard chz?

[Heidi]

9. This particular bergkäse, Walgusto, is a semi-hard variety

from the Valais region of Switzerland. It's kinda stinky but very yummy!

[ThomCat]

6. That's awesome! Good Job!

[Heidi]

11. Tonight: chili!

[AnneD]

8. You go girl.....

reminds me of the time I made chili for my host and her family. G-mother was proper Bostonian and my friend was trying to warn me about grandma. I had the handicap of not having the peppers or the stew meat (I had hamburger and some mild chili powder). I made the chili and it slow cooked. When we came back I whipped up some skillet cornbread (they had always cooked it in aluminum pans-it sticks). They raved about the chili AND cornbread. I knew it was a hit when G-mother asked for seconds. I thought it was bland myself but dad said it was perfect...hot enough to make you sweat but not so hot you couldn't eat it.

I actually got to go grocery shopping when I was in Switzerland. I was fine until I got to the horse meat I look queasy and my host thought that maybe I wanted to eat horse meat. I told her that in Texas we feel toward horses like she felt about cow in Switzerland. The ingredients in Europe are great and anyone can make great food. It id hard to make somethings because we don't have some of the ingredients.

After my trip I decided 2 things. 1)If I win the lottery, I will immigrate to Switzerland and 2)if there is such a thing as reincarnation, I want to come back as a cow and like in Switzerland.

[Heidi]

12. Oh, gross!

I don't eat much meat, but I certainly don't eat horse meat.

Switzerland would welcome you, gf!

[Hippo_Tron]

13. Mother in Law doesn't understand the value of a good sandwhich

I'm no McDonalds fan but I could eat that sandwich spread you described every night.

Good job proving your mother in law wrong Heidi.

[Heidi]

14. Hippo_Tron!!!!

you!

I haven't eaten fast food in nearly 10 years! (Well, unless you count the McDonald's salad that my husband's American cousin brought to me at an exhibit in Zurich because I hadn't eaten since morning. )

[DFW]

15. And tonight?

Bündnerfleisch, Geschnetzeltes mit Rösti, and Luxemburgerli from Sprüngli for dessert?

ne guete!

(oder so epis zum Biespiel?)

[Heidi]

16. Luxemburgerli from Sprüngli is CMW's favorite candy!

Every year, I order him a nice box of Luxemburgerli! (We're having chili for dinner tonight. )

[DFW]

17. Every time I run down there, I always drop Fr. 100 or so at Paradeplatz

And Sprüngli is a few 100g lighter of inventory!

[Heidi]

18. You must, then, also be familiar with one of my other favorite places in Zurich!

http://www.schwarzenbach.ch /

[DFW]

19. Nope, didn't know that one

Looks nice, though.
My work is usually on the other side of the Limmat, and I rarely
have the time to explore any more these days. I'll keep that one
in mind, though, for my next trip down there. It's just a 50 minute
flight from here, so I'm usually down there and back up the same day.

[Heidi]

20. We're in Ticino, so I don't get to Zurich as often as I'd like.

Hey, it just started snowing here about five minutes ago! Weird to see snowflakes floating down among the palmetto trees.

[DFW]

21. I used to vacation in Cadro near Lugano

But that was many MANY moons ago!

Way back when I had time for that kind of thing (*sigh*)