I think we all need at least one
really nice positive thing about the entertainment business every single
day of the year, including weekends. Sometimes it may be something
simple, like a video that showcases something fun and sometimes it may be a movie
poster that embraces the aesthetic we all want Hollywood to aspire to.
Sometimes it may be a long-winded diatribe. Sometimes it’ll be from the
staff and extended family of CHUD.com. Maybe even you readers can get in
on it. So, take this to the bank. Every day, you will get a little bit
of positivity from one column a day here. Take it with you. Maybe it’ll
help you through a bad day or give folks some fun things to hunt down in
their busy celluloid digesting day.

10.11.10
By Elisabeth Rappe Author Page Twitter Page Facebook Page

What I’m Thankful For

Our Thankful series has taken a really fascinating turn. If you look at that intro, we were originally meant to concentrate solely on entertainment oriented topics.  But some days, you just want to write about your family, your favorite food, or a pair of shoes.  It’s not that there isn’t something to be grateful for about entertainment that day, but your mind is elsewhere.  The point is just to be positive and cheer about something.

So today, I’m taking my turn at dodging our parameters. I’m thankful for:

I’m a vegetarian.  I took the plunge over a year ago for various reasons.  It’s been easier than I thought it would be, and I haven’t really missed steak, hamburgers, or chicken all that much. But as winter drew in, I began to really, really miss something hale and hearty: Bangers and mash. One of the most repulsive looking meals next to haggis, but oh so satisfying, especially when it’s cold

It was one of my favorite carnivore meals.  When I was in the UK, I ate it nearly every day.  I was hiking all over hills and monuments in the chilly air, and I craved it constantly. Plus, it was a good excuse to go into a pub where I wouldn’t feel underdressed and awkward.  The best plate of them came from Deacon Brodie’s in Edinburgh. I’ve since looked the place up online, and apparently it’s considered a poor place to eat, so maybe their crispy memory was simply enhanced by the sheer atmosphere. I was eating in Edinbugh, after all. Saltines would probably have tasted awesome.

While my cravings for hamburgers or bologna have been satisfied with the soy meat,  I’ve craved bangers and mash like nobody’s business.  In the UK, they have a faux-meat version, but America hasn’t caught onto real UK-style sausage, let alone an imitation.  The only tofu or soy versions were flavored like kielbasa or Italian, and it just doesn’t work.

On a whim, I picked up a pack of Lightlife’s Smoked Sausages … and I finally have one of my favorite meals again.  Slathered in mushroom or onion gravy, they taste awfully damn close to the real thing. Perhaps it’s just desperation (though my skepticism was raging as I cut into them) but they work better than anything else. 

So, bring on the cold. I’m going to watch the snow fall, chug a Guinness, and tuck into a plate of these from now until May.