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Mystery Theatre 2.0: Whose Pasta Salad Is It?

Remember those Choose Your Own Adventure Books? This is nothing like that. But there is a mystery that I need you to help me solve. Read the story* and then participate in the poll. Feel free to explain your answer in the comments. (*names have been changed to protect the innocent).

One day, while at a gathering of people – a party, if you will – there was an array of delectable treats. As far as the eye could see (or about as long as the table was) you could dazzle the taste buds with delicious homemade goodies such as pita, tsatziki and cabbage rolls. Everything that was on that table was a delight, but one lone dish truly stood out beyond the rest….

Mom: (to aunt) “I wanted to thank you for bringing the cabbage rolls. They are very tasty. As usual.”

Aunt: “You know me, I love to cook! You have put on quite the spread though. You should be proud of yourself.”

Mom: “Well, I got a lot of help from my daughter. She is quite amazing you know. In addition to preparing most of this food, she also saves baby seals in her spare time and volunteers at the local orphanage. She truly is my favourite child.”

Aunt: Yes, I can see why.

(Both nodding. Aunt takes a bite of the pasta salad.)

Aunt: “Oh my, this is just so intense, so savory!”

(Shana walks into the room, with her husband, John, close behind her.)

Mom: “Oh Shana, Aunt was just saying how tasty your pasta salad is and I agree. Thank you so much for making it.”

(a large black bird caws in the background)

Shana: “Oh, you are quite welcome.”

John: (gasping) “YOUR pasta salad?”

Shana: “Well, I made the pasta.”

John: “But I made the salad! I cut up the veggies and did the dressing and put it all together. All you did was boil water.”

Shana: “But without the pasta, there would be nothing.”

(cue evil piano music)

John: “Yes there would! There would be SALAD.”

(cue evil accordion music)

Shana: “Well, if I didn’t cook the pasta correctly, they would not have complimented the salad.”

John: “Likewise for the veggies. Either way, you shouldn’t have taken full credit for the pasta salad.”

(Shana rolls her eyes. John stomps his foot.)

The tension in the room thickens…whose salad is it?

Posted in Blog 10 months, 4 weeks ago at 4:25 am.

Comments

  • Did you really post this at 4:25am... I mean really WTF are you doing up at that time of the day!

    Clearly John made the the salad... creating 1 element of the salad doe not entitle you to claim ownership of the salad creation. :)
  • i was either on my way to bed or getting up. i can't really recall.....

    thanks for voting!
  • I would have to say, that if the name of the salad is 'Pasta Salad', and the bulk of the salad is pasta, logic would dictate that without the pasta, this would be just vegetables in a bowl more along the lines of bruschetta topping. I would have to say that the salad win goes to Shana, with a little help from John.
  • John S
    As the maker of the salad portion, I feel the need to make a few points.

    1. Shana, the pasta maker, made only the pasta. Served separately, it would be plain pasta, with no dressing or sauce.

    2. John (me), the salad maker, also includes the dressing.

    3. Mom, the hostess, asked us to bring any type of SALAD. So, if you remove the pasta, we were still 100% in compliance with the order.

    4. Jamie, simply because pasta comes first in Pasta Salad does not denote priority. In fact, it really is Salad with Pasta in it, since the order was for a Salad. Much like Caeser Salad refers to the dressing (it isn't Caeser dressing with Salad in it), the pasta in Pasta Salad simply refers to one ingredient in the SALAD Dish.
    Furthermore, you sabotage your own point by saying, I would have to say that the salad win goes to Shana." Why did you refer to this as a salad win and not a pasta win if you purport this to be a Pasta dish? Clearly you have a hidden agenda and/or are playing Devil's Advocate.

    5. The work involved was 90% done by me. Shana boiled water, and put the pasta in the pot. She didn't even do 100% of the cooking of the pasta, since I was the one who strained everything. I also carefully cut up all of the vegetables, mixed the pasta and salad together, put in the spices, and mixed it all together.

    6. I would like thank all of my supporters :coughToddcough:. Without you, well, nothing really would change, but that's nice.
  • Veronica Giggey
    It's really quite simple. I say the winner is Shana...just because women are always right. :)
  • John S
    I don't know this Veronica Giggity, but clearly she's insane and biased. Can we remove her vote from the poll?
  • Veronica Giggey
    You know John S, name calling won't make you right :) And all kidding aside, the pasta salad looks pretty good, you should post the recipe.
  • what say you john? give me the recipe to post!

    z
  • The comment below was put in the poll site, so not sure if you saw it. I think it's a good one so I'm posting it here :)

    AMBER:
    Well, well, well kids - I think we're forgetting a major thing here. You couldn't have done it without each other. Awwwwwe :) You know like having a child? Technically just because Shana had the child doesn't mean it's just hers, you both contributed and look what happened - a beautiful child and a beautiful pasta salad. Now can we make this salad again & send it to OZ?
  • Seeb
    Ok well I'm going to refer back to the rules of my parents house. "He who cooks the most does not have to do the dishes." The rest of us poor saps have to play "Rock, Paper, Scissors" untill the dishwasher is named. "But what happens when there is more then one cook?", you ask? Well the rule in the Mindorff house is this: whoever spent more time in the kitchen is excused from dished. If both are there equally well, then it boils down to a dual of - you guess it - "Rock, Paper, Scissors"...

    I'm sure this isn't the answer you are looking for but I'd have to say that Jaimie oops, I mean "John" should get the credit for the salad. But nice try though ;)
  • Makes sense. I'm sure in your household it would have been more like an RPS tournament! LOL

    also, just some insight, my brother JOHN is married to someone names SHANA. :)

    Jamie and I never argue about food. It's blasphemous.

    z
  • Really, who considers bruschetta to be a salad anyways?
  • No one. I think John is referring to your mention of "salad" in the last line:

    I would have to say that the salad win goes to Shana, with a little help from John

    meaning that if you are calling it a "salad win" then what he made was a salad, NOT pasta - ergo, your point on it being more pasta is moo.

    you know, a cow's opinion. it doesn't matter.

    z
  • mom
    who would have thought a PASTA SALAD would have made such "noise"
    wow!!!!
    so much intrest
    love it!!!
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