People Losing Site of the Point

A recent feature in the New York Times Food section details the intricacies of funeral dining. The article entitled "He Would have Wanted it That Way", details the cultural nuances involved with gathering to eat when a death has occurred. Vertamae Grosvenor, who grew up in South Carolina's Low Country had this touching memory of her mother's death:

"We had pans and pans of rice fixed every kind of way," she said. "Plain rice to go next to your greens. Red rice with smoked sausage. Chicken purloo. Hoppin' John. Limpin' Susan. Aunt Georgianne brought a big pan of her seasoned rice. It was wonderful, but I still don't know what she had it in. I know it had black pepper.

People judged your worth by how well you made rice. If your rice wasn't proper, my God."

It's always nice to know that people are remembering their loved ones in a reverent way. Nothing says grieving more than a little culinary competition with Aunt Georgianne, after all. Bless their hearts.