I DID finally find inspiration again, though. There's a story to tell.
The family and I were able to make it back to New York for a week. It's amazing how much I missed the place. I didn't realize exactly how much until I was standing with my daughter on the subway. She got her subway legs right away - it's as if she had New York commuting in her blood. Even the homeless person who grimaced at her didn't bother her. She's a born New Yorker. She screamed with glee every time she saw an MTA bus.
We visited as many people as time and circumstances allowed. My kids started to rebel at long car rides though, and we didn't see as many as I would have liked.
We did get to see my brother's new place, though. It's down the block from Whole Foods. In New York, Whole Foods are starting to replace Starbucks on every corner. After being served the cornucopia of items my brother picked up from his local Whole Foods, The Doctor and I realized how much we missed having a Whole Foods nearby, too.
So I stopped at the one in Scottsdale yesterday. I was on my way to work, grabbing dinner while I could. I like to survey my options in the sterno trays and then examine the deli counter looking for something tasty and healthy. That night I saw something unusual in the sterno tray - Sweet Kugel.
For a Jewish boy, Kugel is an emotional dish. It's one of those comfort foods that one's mother makes better than anyone. It's comfort food. My kids are extraordinarily lucky that The Doctor makes a fantastic kugel for Chanukkah, but that's only once a year. Seeing sweet kugel available in a sterno tray at Whole Foods was a real treat! This particular Kugel warming in the tray looked great. Firm but moist, with a cinnamon topping.
I was pretty sure I wanted some of that, but I had to keep looking to see if there was anything else. Sure enough, behind the deli counter, Whole Foods was offering savory potato kugel. I can't remember the last time I had savory kugel, so I asked for a taste. It was a little sweet, which I thought was odd, but otherwise nice. I thought that if the savory stuff was a little sweet, the sweet kugel would be just the thing to satisfy my sweet tooth. I was even more excited for the sweet kugel now.
You see where this is going, don't you?
Imagine my spit-flying impotent rage upon tasting my (not inexpensive) kugel. It wasn't sweet at all, but savory potato kugel. Whole Foods in Scottsdale had mixed up the labels. I was stuck with savory potato kugel. No sugar at all. It was, however, powdered with cinnamon. Have you ever tasted cinnamon mixed with potato? No? There's a reason for that. It's disgusting.
I am very angry with the gentiles at Whole Foods right now.
