Monday, August 17, 2020

Mary Worth 3442

I haven't seen  my unnamed cousin in 11 years, but I'll never forget the difference her unnamed ingredient made in her banana bread.

9 comments:

Nance said...

Today's Boldface Haiku is titled

"It's Amazing What A Little Rum Will Do".

Gram's...
Secret ingredient,
Helped!
Proud!

Anonymous said...

All through high school and college I worked for the same family restaurant. It was a well known and patronized place in my hometown. Anyhoo, the dry mix for the fried food batter was made with 75 pounds of four and 25 pounds of the "secret ingredient."

Once a week these two old ladies who had worked there for over 20 years would go to the basement storage, lock the door, and fill 25 pound bags of the "secret ingredient." I'm sure it was just powered milk, basking powder and salt, still, only THEY would put the 25 pounds together and in secret.

So, the point of this rambling post is that Madi will never let Mary, Toby of Saul into the locked basement. "What are you doing down there?! Unlock this door NOW, Madi!"

Coincidentally, the family restaurant I worked at in Saco, Maine was called "Toby's".

KitKat said...

RobC, Toby’s Restaurant! Don’t tell KM - she might have Toby Cameron start a banana bread business with Madi.

Madi seems to be going backward in age right before our eyes. She started out as a young teen; today she looks about ten. By the time Lyle returns, she’ll be ready for a kindergarten reboot. I miss the original Madi.

Regina Wolfe-Parks said...

RobC, thanks, I will ask my husband about Toby's and asked him if he ever tasted the fried food with the "secret ingredient (it was probably ground crackers along with your ingredients.)

This "secret ingredient" is so "secret" that she doesn't even trust Saul with it. "I can't tell you Uncle Saul because you'll tell Gram Mary and you know she loves to gossip. I don't want gram coming from the grave because I gave someone my secret ingredient! It's as secret as her name is!"

Saul: "I'm proud of you Madi. Now pick up your clothes that you left on the living room floor!"

Anonymous said...


Wow, that is some magic banana bread! I can't wait until Toby serves it at the big meeting and the place turns into a giant lovefest.

-- Scottie McW.

Jana C.H. said...

I remember the animated film Kung Fu Panda included a supposedly meaningful sub-plot in which the title character's adoptive father had a special recipe with a secret ingredient which he would not reveal to his adopted son until the time was right. The big revelation turned out to be "There is no secret ingredient!" You just tell people there is one, and they will imagine that the dish is extra special.

Yahoonski said...

As far as we know, Toby used the same damned recipe that originally made Mary gag, but this time added Gram's secret ingredient. So, the secret ingredient must be something that consumes and neutralizes the gag-inducing ingredient. Sort of like odor-eater inserts for smelly shoes.

KitKat said...

If Gram’s secret ingredient really exists, it would have to be something found in any kitchen, including (!) Toby’s. Jana C.H. might be on to something. (It’s within the realm of possibility that KM might “borrow” from another source.)

lmjb1964 said...

@ Yahoonski and KitKat, you both make excellent points. Unless the secret "ingredient" that Madi told Toby was "Use a recipe that doesn't suck." Or possibly, "Put the eggs IN the batter." Otherwise, it really points to the ingredient being a mind-altering substance that will make any food taste amazing, no matter how bad it is. Or just a ton of alcohol, maybe. If it's alcohol, we know Toby has plenty of that on hand. If it's a mind-altering drug, maybe they took a quick trip to visit a local dealer.

Or...it's so obvious now...MARY is the dealer! That's why people keep coming to her for "help." That why even sullen teenagers and misanthropic old man end up up cheerful and brain-dead. I'm surprised she doesn't just put it in the water, but I'm sure she likes the feeling of people needing her.

Many things make more sense now.