Today, in our company cafeteria, I was reminded of a discussion the The Lizard and I had concerning school lunches several years ago:
What was your favorite? What was your most despised? I fondly remembered Frito Pie.
The Lizard stared at me, blankly, and asked "What is Frito Pie?"
I was stunned, but then remembered -- The Lizard was a Yankee by birth (her Republic visa yearly renewed due to matrimonial status). The people above the Mason-Dixon never dreamed of eating black eyed peas and cornbread, let alone the ultimate in Texan delicacies, The Frito Pie, so I described the dish to my Yankee bride, and her eyes widened.
"They feed children that?!" She cried, aghast.
I assured her that, compared to the vapors wafting off of the chemical plants in my hometown, ingesting Frito corn chips covered in chili, cheese and onions was a very healthy endeavor. Quite good too, if you could burn off the 1500 calories the small dish provided (not a problem for active children of my youth -- maybe a big problem for today's kids).
Still, she seemed skeptical, and I had to enlist the help of one of my fellow citizens of The Republic to explain that:
- Yes, this dish does exist.
- It is fed to school children to this day.
- There are two major varieties: the 'school lunch' version (served on a plastic tray) and the 'ballpark' version (where the Frito is skinned fresh in the field, and the chili poured, hot and steaming, into the carcass).
I have yet to get The Lizard to enjoy a meal of Frito Pie, and I doubt I ever will. Same holds true for chicken-fried steak and cream gravy.
I have higher hopes for the black eyed peas, however... complete with bacon drippin's, of course...
