essay 1- food narrative

Fried Calamari…Mmm Mmm Good!

Fried squid, known as, fried calamari, also known as, the most delectable thing that has ever graced my mouth. I am infatuated with the small rings of fried deliciousness. My only question is how in the world can something so ugly, slimy and gross, in the water, taste so incredibly good in my mouth? I still have not figured it out, but I am so glad my father forced me to eat it, due to one of his rants about how I need to be more cultural with the food I eat. If it weren’t for him, this paper would be non-existent.
I remember the first time I tried my all time favorite food in the whole entire world. It was at Café Milano, a very posh Italian restaurant in Georgetown. My grandparents were in town, and my dad insisted this was the place to go to. We walked into this absolutely beautiful Tuscan restaurant, where the hostess just informed me that Antonio Benderas ate their last night (I felt pretty cool, knowing I eat at the same places he does). We sat down at the table, and I looked at the menu and was so disappointed. Number one, everything on the menu was Italian and I am not good with languages and definitely not fluent in Italian. Number two, once my mom interpreted the menu, I was in disgust because every thing was just too different, and I am an incredibly picky eater. My dad whispered in my ear and told me that if I try something new he’ll give me ten dollars and me being the cheapest person ever, accepted. The first thing that came out was fried calamari. It smelled so incredible, but the thought of eating squid, grossed me out! I give this look of disgust as it is set on the table, but in reality it looked nothing like squid and was on the prettiest platter, with a slice of lemon and some red sauce. It was a golden color shaped in little circles. I secretly wanted to try it because it just looked and smelled so good, but I just could not get over the fact it was squid that I just saw in the ocean, in Antigua snorqleing with my family. It was white and had the ugliest looking tentacles I have ever seen. My dad then leaned over and whispered in my ear, “you got to eat it or you get nothing,’” I grab one little piece from the platter and put it in my mouth, my mom still describes my face, to this day. It took about no more than two seconds once it hit my mouth, that fried calamari, was my drug of choice (corny I know, but so true). Ever since that dinner, fried calamari has been the food I order when ever we go out to a restaurant that has it, and the only thing I hate about this food is that at some restaurants, they give you calamari with the circles and the little ones with tentacles, and I cannot stand eating tentacles. I always ask, “mom do you want my tentacles?” and she replies “Molly, for the last time, don’t ask me that because it always sounds like your asking me if I want your testicles,” its like clock work.
I am very much like, what I eat. I don’t have tentacles and I don’t live in the water, but I am totally different from when you see me to when you talk to me, like fried calamari from when you see it, to when you eat it. People tend to think I am so unpredictable because I look somewhat stereotypical but I am totally different. Fried calamari is squid, which triggers the description of long slimy tentacles, but is totally different when tasted. Many people think I look like a non-smoker, but I am (unfortunately, but true) and many believe fried calamari is really fishy, but tastes nothing like fish. The first thing that comes to most people’s mind, when thinking about calamari, is that it is squid, and has really gross tentacles. In reality, when eating calamari they very rarely give you the ones with tentacles and is probably the most unbelievable thing someone could possibly consume.
I truly believe that fried calamari a long with everything else I eat can really help me go though a hectic or rough day. When I eat something so delicious the taste acts like an emotion that makes me so happy it’s unbelievable. As you squeeze the lemon juice on top a long with the salt and marinara sauce the crunchiness of the fried batter clinging onto the tender squid gets my blood pumping and gives me a sensation that I can only truly to get while climaxing. Fried Calamari is by far one of the greatest things to eat in the whole entire world. Although, many people think fried calamari is as foreign as escargot, it truly is not. Fried calamari is one of the most popular appetizers in most Italian restaurants as well as some American restaurants. If my mom could make it as well as Café Milano can, I would be eating it for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day of my life!