This Is Morel Country & Pete Is Its King
monday, august 20th, 2007
When my husband and I went on a mini-vacation with my friends Pete and Sheila last month, we indulged in the New England de rigeur; seafood, time on the water, seafood, a long walk on the beach, and seafood. For these salty indulgences alone, the weekend would qualify as a success, but something happened that nudged me over to that place rarely visited on the experience map; Paradise.
At dinner the first night of our recent trip, Pete reached across the table and handed me a large, crumpled paper bag as he wished me a belated "Happy Birthday". I received the bag gently in both hands and hoped, in that place reserved for only the most cherished desires, that it contained what I thought it might. Before peaking inside, I closed my eyes, held the bag to my nose and sniffed. As the wild, earthy aroma filled my head, Pete was transformed from one of the people I treasure most in life to my fairy godfather, who just made all of my gastronomic wishes some true.
Every spring, Pete drives to western Wisconsin with a giant cooler in the trunk and a thick wad of singles in his wallet. He traverses the rural, country roads with a determined objective; to stop at every temporary road side stand he can find. The high school students who set up these stands every spring have only one item for sale, the very one that inspires Pete's single-minded obsession every season. Pete ends the day quickly for the budding entrepreneurs by snatching up every single basket on their table. When he drives away from the first few, his pile of cash is a little thinner and his cooler is a bit fuller. Still, he is not satisfied, as he moves on to the next stand and the next and the next. The man is on a mission and he will not stop until his cooler overflows with the coveted product he seeks. He will accept nothing less than fungal dominion. This is Morel Country and Pete is its King.
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1.2 Liter Deep Fryer by Home Image (1) Buy new: $32.10 $19.98 5 used & new from $19.95 (Visit... Read Full Story »
