Thursday, January 22, 2009

Oxtail Soup

We were sitting at the dinner table yesterday, and C. Peevie mentioned that he had the opportunity to taste the famous oxtail soup created by the many-talented dad of his classmate, G-Man.

"It was so delicious, Dad," C. Peevie said. "J. Cub was crazy for it, too." We were interested to hear more about it, because it sounds kind of exotic, and none of the rest of us had ever tried it. Later on, after the conversation had turned to a new topic, M. Peevie brought up the soup again.

"Maybe we could try to make our own coxtail soup!" she suggested, offering an amusing variation on the name, which we all repeated with much hilarity. And then C. Peevie suggested that there might be such a thing in real life as coxtail soup--or perhaps it would be spelled "cockstail" soup.

"Because," he started to point out, "Cock is another word for..."

It was like he was talking in slow motion. I was standing across the room, and my head swung around and I made eye contact with Mr. Peevie. Later he told me they were big like saucers. Really, really big saucers. I think some suspenseful music started playing, like we were in a movie. Mr. Peevie and I both stopped breathing.

"...chicken!" he finished. "A cock is a male chicken. So the soup would be made from, well, from chicken tails."

Phew. Mr. P and I started breathing again, and we all laughed at the idea of chicken-butt soup. Later I told Mr. Peevie that I thought it was totally possible that C. Peevie had done that little verbal game of chicken (pun intended) on purpose--that he knew what we'd be thinking, and that he may have even included a dramatic pause just to increase our silent panic. He can be brilliantly evil that way, like Darth Vader or Hannibal Lecter or Ann Coulter.

And in case you're interested, here's a recipe for Oxtail Soup from one of my favorite online recipe sources, epicurious.com.

5 comments:

Broke but Happy said...

PERFECT! Because today, January 26 2009, is the first day of the Chinese New Year, 4704, which marks The Year of the Ox.

KMR said...

"totally possible"??? While I don't really know C. Peevie much at all, my guess still would be "totally PROBABLE". Considering his age, gender, and family...

Unknown said...

Boy G--Wait a minute. What do you mean, "considering his family"?

And C. Peevie did admit afterward that he did, indeed, purposely pause for dramatic effect.

Broke Girl--thanks for the cultural tidbit. Let me know if you try the soup.

Anonymous said...

Oxtail.... a special event in gmanland. Last year I asked gdad for the recipe in case some day in the distant future, when he has gone to the great cookout in the sky, and he refused to share, saying it was his gig with the kids. A week or two later he reconsidered and I have now watched it being made once, I have some detailed notes, and will be apprenticing the next time he plans to make it. It sounds replusive, but it a wonderful concoction, much anticipated and we will be sure we have you over or at least get some over to your house. But please, no pictures, and, heavens, don't ask for the recipe!

Unknown said...

Anon, who I think must be G-mom: Thanks for the tip-off, and the promise of future soup. Looking forward to it.