No grommets today

[Celeste Stewart]

Ha! I saw someone sell an article just now titled "Yes, We have no Grommets Today" (or something similar) and had to laugh. Love the title!

I didn't get to read the entire article but it just reminded me of a fond memory that I simply have to share. While vacationing in the Bahamas a few years ago, I had a craving for coconut pie. After all, I grew up in the islands (Pacific) and seeing palm trees galore whetted my appetite for coconuts, coconut pie, and/or coconut candy. Shoot, I would have loved it if someone handed me a machete and let me chop the top off of a green coconut and allowed me to drink the coconut milk right then and there, no questions asked.

The sign in front of a local bakery saying, "Specializing in coconut pies" pretty much pointed me in the right direction. My craving would soon be satisfied!

Upon arriving, a lady greeted me outside and told me that there were: "No coconuts today." Standing under a palm tree (one of many), fully loaded with beautiful coconuts ranging from green to brown, she repeated, "No coconuts."

They were everywhere - in all stages of ripeness - I knew this being an islander and all. But she insisted, "So sorry, no coconuts today. No coconut pie."

And thus, I never got a taste of coconuts on an island loaded with them because, today, there were none.

True story.

And I still want a slice!

[Ed]

Wow. That sounds like a story straight out of Communist Russia. I'm sure you were disappointed, but what a great story it makes. Sometimes you can't have something that's right in front of your face.

Speaking of coconut cakes, I had a wonderful coconut cake last night that was, seemingly, pure coconut layered with chocolate ganache. Nothing else except sugar and whatever was used to hold the coconut together. I would have rather burst than leave any of it. Sadly, it got the better of me.

Ed

[JD]

Nice story, Celeste! I think coconut is one of those foods like liver and Marmite that you either love or hate (I love it ).

[breidi]

I had to laugh at your story Celeste!

My sister recently wrote a short story about the Bahamas and instead of a coconut craving, the charater in her story only wanted a banana split. She had seen the banana's hanging from the trees and could not get anyone on the island to make a banana split. They kept saying, "No banana's today!"

Anyway next time you get the urge for a coconut pie, I make a delious, melt in your mouth coconut pie. I love to make them, just don't like to eat them much. I'll make one and send it to ya.


(I am a pretty decent cook! lol)

Breidi

[Celeste Stewart]

It's a Bahamas fruit conspiracy! No coconuts. No bananas. At least they had plenty of Kalik beer flowing. That almost made up for it.

I'll take one of Ed's coconut chocolate indulgences and one of your coconut pies. That should take care of my craving.

[vjlenin]

Celeste, good there. I am from a coconut world actually, so it interested me to put some comment here. Actually my state, known as Kerala, means the world of coconuts (Keram in Malayalam, my mothertongue, means coconut). However the interesting thing is that we Keralites import the coconuts and it is in price hike now! Still if you visit Kerala, you can see coconut trees everywhere!!! Yes, Everywhere. No place is devoid of them. It is perhaps its effect that even the neighboring states have their borders and bordering places full of coconuts. Still our coconut scarcity pertains.

[Celeste Stewart]

So why doesn't someone start harvesting your local coconuts?

I live in the "avocado capital of the world" yet the imported avocados are cheaper - and usually the ones available in the local stores. Strange how it's cheaper to ship the fruit from South America than to drive it across town.