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The next photo is the PROMPT. Remember, all photos are property of the photographer, donated for use in Friday Fictioneers only. They shouldn’t be used for any other purpose without express permission. It is proper etiquette to give the contributor credit.
PHOTO PROMPT © Sandra Crook
CLICK THE FROG TO PARTAKE
Genre: Hysterical Fiction
Word Count: 100
STALKING THE WILD EDIBLES
“Seriously, Daddy?” Ariel jabbed her fork into a plateful of fishy-smelling seaweed. “You expect me to eat this?”
“Don’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried it. Full of antioxidants, fiber, and vitamins,” said Louis. “Expertly prepared by Yours Truly. Ever hear of Euell Gibbons?
“Who?”
“Famous 1960’s naturalist. One winter, his family was down to their last egg and a few pinto beans. He went out and picked a knapsack full of puffball mushrooms, piñon nuts, and yellow prickly pear fruits. Kept them from starving.”
Ariel lifted a green strand, sniffed and grimaced. “It looks like something a Klingon would eat.”
Euell Gibbon, who became famous promoting Grape Nuts cereal. He took a lot of ribbing. Here he is taking a poke at himself.
To know a little more about him CLICK HERE
Rochelle Wisoff-Fields-Addicted to Purple 
Dear Rochelle,
I venture to suggest that even Klingons would turn up their noses at seaweed except for Euell of course! “Hysterical Fiction” could become my favorite genre! 😀
Shalom,
Dora
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Dear Dora,
Considering Klingons eat Gakh…live wormy creatures, I’m not sure what they’d do with seaweed. Glad you liked hysterical fiction. I toss that one in every so often to see if anyone’s paying attention. 😉
I must confess, i really like seaweed.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I like the new genre ‘hysterical fiction’. Does it seem weird that this is used in beauty products?
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Dear Reena,
It’s amazing what is used in beauty products, isn’t it? Whatever works I suppose. 😉 Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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The food of the future (along with crickets)
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Dear Neil,
It’s actually food of the present. 😀 I’ll pass on the crickets, though.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I was offered some at a weekend market once and so I tried them just to gross my kids out. Pleasantly surprised by the nice nutty taste, though I haven’t filled my shelves at home with the product.
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I’ll take your word for it, Subroto. 😉 Even I have my limits.
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I remember Euell. I liked Grape Nuts. Americans aren’t into seaweed as much as the Japanese as far as I know. It probably is healthy for you. An amusing story and good writing as always. 🙂 — Suzanne
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Dear Suzanne,
I recently went to an Asian restaurant that had the most amazing seaweed salad. Personally, I’m a fan. One of my favorite snacks. Americans. Don’t get me started on SAD, the standard American diet. 😉 Thank you re my story.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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My sympathies are with Ariel, I have to say.
She and I will have cuisses de grenouilles, m’lady!
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Dear CE,
Cuisses de grenouilles are delicious. They really don’t taste like chicken…much more delicate flavour. 😉 Bon apetit!
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Seaweed seems like an odd thing to eat. The first humans must have been starving to try it. Strangely it’s not that bad. Cute story Rochelle.
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Dear Tanille,
As the old saying goes, “Don’t knock it, til you’ve tried it.” 😉 Thank you re my story.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I must be weird. I find nothing off-putting about the idea of eating sea-weed. In fact I’ve often eaten fried seaweed in japanese/chinese restaurants. Unlike your main character here, I wouldn’t want to be the first to try anything I found in the wild. Great story.
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Dear Sandra,
I must confess that seaweed is a favorite food of mine, from the papery seaweed squares sold for snacks to a well-prepared salad. I’ve not had fried seaweed, though. Thank you re my story. It’s always fun to rattle a few stuffy cages, no?
Shalom,
Rochelle
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He he – great story, Rochelle. Personally I like seaweed, plus it’s very nutritious!
Hysterical fiction as a new genre? I’m in!
Susan A Eames at
Travel, Fiction and Photos
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Dear Susan,
I’m also a fan of seaweed. One of my favorite foods, in fact. 😉 Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I remember those commercials well, and all of the jokes about Mr. Gibbons. My favorite, of course, was the SNL “commercial” for the new breakfast cereal, Quarry. Chock full of minerals 😉
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Dear Trent,
Oh I remember that SNL sketch. Mr. Gibbons was pretty good natured about it. Johnny Carson used to take a few potshots at him as well.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Dear Rochelle,
This was great! I love Grape Nuts and there are so many varieties of seaweed to enjoy so Ariel is being a typical child 😉
Love this!
Shalom and lotsa good-for-you love,
Dale
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Dear Dale,
As I’ve confessed earlier, seaweed is one of my favorite foods. And i was a weird child who probably would’ve liked it back in the day. 😉 Glad you enjoyed. Oh yeah, I always loved Grapenuts, too.
Shalom and lotsa nutritious hugs,
Rochelle
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I was rather sad when I could no longer find them… And yeah, I ate (still do) pretty much anything!
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Good Hysterical Fiction story. I remember his show and all the wild plants and things he would eat. Not a seaweed fan but I’ll eat, or try, about anything as long as I know it’s safe. You have to wonder though, how many people died trying to figure out what was safe.
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Dear Jan,
At one time potatoes and tomatoes were believed to be poisonous. 😉 I guess someone has to be brave and take the first bite.
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Klingons… gwak… and gummy worms… HaHAHAHA! Sorry, guess you had to have been there at the Klingon party at MARCON back in the 80’s. Gummy worms, swimming in a vat of red jello mixed with Smirnov’s Vodka…or, gwak as we called it. After the first worm or two, you didn’t really care anymore. LOL! I’ve survived on puff mushrooms, bluegill fish, and those green water plants… watercress, I think they’re called. Not the tastiest of meals, mind you, but my tum was full and I lived to see another day. 🙂 Great story. I’m afraid I’ve already gone well over 100 words with this prompt…see if I can weedle down…hehe. My mojo is back!
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Dear Bear,
I’m celebrating the return of your mojo. 😀 I’m laughing at your gwak story. I’ve never eaten a puff mushroom, but I do love me some seaweed. I’ve been dubbed “weird” by a few when it comes to my taste in food. 😉 Thank you for reading and commenting.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I like seaweed, too. I buy it in sheets at the oriental food store. It’s supposed to be for sushi, I think. Anyway, I like to put a piece of it on a sandwich like lettuce, or just roll up a sheet and tuck it into my backpack along with some jerky for a hike. I must be doing something wrong, or don’t have the settings on my OS set right, but I can’t right click download the photo to be able to upload to WP. Will try to get that figured out by next week. Where’s a geek when you need one, right! Shalom! 🙂 ❤
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At least the story’s relevant and you did give credit. Technology is both blessing and curse. I love those sheets of seaweed. You can get them in snack size squares. A package, once opened, doesn’t last me very long. ❤
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me, either. LOL!
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You don’t have to download the picture. You can copy and paste the URL.
I prefer nerd.
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How do you do that for just the pic???
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Click on the picture. It will enlarge it. Then, right click on the enlarged picture and open it in a new tab or window. This should be in the address bar:
For now, you can just copy and paste that. Next time you can follow those instructions, and it should work out for you. Just make sure the address ends in the file type, which is usually .jpg
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https://rochellewisofffields.files.wordpress.com/2020/09/sandra-crook-seaweed .jpg
You have to take out the space between seaweed and .jpg
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I’ll give that a try. I did right click the pic but before enlarging. didn’t work. Will try copying the addy box this time. BRB…
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Good luck.
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didn’t work… this time it’s giving me a “missing attribute” message. Grrr…. I’ll get this figured out soon.
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Hmm… That’s frustrating. I just pasted it, and it popped up.
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I think it has to do with my OS. I’m going to have hubby look at it. I just got this computer this week, still tweeking details.
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I had a lovely Japanese exchange student in my history class one year. Her parents sent her care packages often, and once they sent some seaweed candy for her to share with her American classmates.
She loved it. The American kids, not so much. But they were all polite 🙂
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Dear Linda,
My son did a yearlong study on Japan when he was in 6th grade. We decided that, as part of his research we should try the cuisine. Neither of us ever regretted that. I’m a sashimi and seaweed lover. But then there’s the standard American diet…is there any reason we call it SAD?
Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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🙂
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As a general lover of sea weed, I would say that it has its moments … 😉 Though, it is perhaps an acquired taste … 😉
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Na’ama Y’karah,
I love the sea and I love seaweed. Funny, I can’t remember having to acquire the taste. When it came to sashimi, sushi and seaweed, it was love at first bite. 😉 Glad you swam by for a read.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Yep, I was being polite … 😉 I admit, though, that I didn’t like it the first time because I was served seaweed salad, which is NOT my favorite. But I DO love it in soup, and in sushi and roasted, and in different kinds of salad than the cold slippery slimy one I was served the first time … 😉
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🍣🍚🍣🥗
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LOL
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I have to sympathise with the child – the only seaweed I have enjoyed was fried crispy in a Chinese restaurant!
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Dear Liz,
Just about anything is good fried. 😉 I love a well-made seaweed salad myself.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I’ve never had seaweed. It’s not near the top of my to try list. If it’s really that healthy, maybe I should add it. I’ve had cow tongue, pretty good, and grasshoppers, 🤢. I like Grape Nuts, though I’m pretty sure they’re neither grapes nor nuts.
I’m still laughing at that “commercial.” I’ve never heard of Euell Gibbons, but I’m wary about taking dietary advice from someone who put lard on his vegetables and died of a heart attack at 64. Though my grandmother used a lot of lard, and she lived to be 95.
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Dear Nobbin,
I always wondered about the name “Grapenuts”. As for seaweed, I’m a big fan. Cow tongue I wasn’t so impressed with and have never tried grasshoppers.
I remember when I was a kid, everything was either fried in Lard or Schmaltz (chicken fat). In fact we used to eat schmaltz spread on rye bread. Sprinkle a little salt on it. Pretty tasty. 😉
Euell did do valid commercials, but he was pretty good about spoofing himself.
Thank you for coming by.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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That’s interesting. I always assumed the lard was an Hispanic thing. It just goes to show how flimsy our cultural divides are. I’ll pass on the Schmaltz and salt, though. I scarcely even butter things and never add salt. I’m a fake health nut. I love pizza and burgers and have to make up for that elsewhere.
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Lard was a common back in the days before vegetable oil came on the scene. These days, schmaltz is a thing of the past. I use some butter sparingly, but only if it’s the real thing. I’m gluten free so that cuts out a lot of carbs. Although potatoes are my friend and there are some terrific gluten free pizzas out there.
I apologize that both of your attempts at this comment went to my trash folder. I’ve no idea why WP does this.
To your health!
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Great dialogue Rochelle! There’s another seashore vegetable which is not strictly speaking seaweed but it’s delicious – samphire. I love it!
Here’s mine!
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Dear Keith,
I’ve never heard of samphire. I wonder if that’s something available on this side of the Pond.? Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Common here, it’s sold by fishmongers and supermarkets – if we can’t find any on the beach that is!
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Dominic has declared the video “silly”, but thank you for a spot of education this morning. Maybe I’ll share more about Euell with him next time he turns his nose up at dinner!
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Dear Jen,
Tell Dominic he’s spot on in his assessment. The video is silly. 😉 Euell really was a naturalist, but had no trouble poking fun at himself. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I like some kinds of seaweed. Goes well with the Warrior’s Drink, prune juice. Well done!
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Dear Josh,
I’m glad I wasn’t drinking anything when I read your comment. My keyboard would be a goner. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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He may have been mocked, but it turns out, he was completely right about what food we should eat!
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Dear Iain,
He was right, wasn’t he? And for the record, I love seaweed. 😉 Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Teehee! Properly prepared, seaweed is delicious. It is, for example, a component of commercial ice-cream…
Actually, I’m like you – I like it as a dish.
Nice story!
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Dear Penny,
Seaweed salad is one of my favorites and I love to snack on those thin papery sheets of Nori seaweed. Thank you re my story. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
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LOVE that you read your story! And a fun one it is. I remember the Grape Nuts guy!
Shalom,
Ronda
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Dear Ronda,
I confess, I read with you in mind. Happily my recording app is working now. It’s good practice, too. Glad you remember Euell. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I like sea and all around it. Lovely story!
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Dear Neel,
I’m with you. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I didn’t know that goldenrod made a nice tea. Useful to know as goldenrod is plentiful around here. Funny story. You have a very pleasant reading voice!
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Dear Lisa,
I wonder if a person’s allergic to goldenrod if the tea would cause problems. It’s plentiful here, too. I think I’ll leave the tea alone. 😉
Thank you re my story and my voice. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Rochelle,
You are most welcome. Maybe the tea would give immunity? More research is needed.
Shalom,
Lisa
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the kid does have a sense humor. 🙂
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She does, Plaridel. 😉
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Seaweed is yummy plis a major health benefit if you have a thyroid problem. The kid is probably at the age where they consider McDonalds as health food 🙂
Interesting link for Euell Gibbons, now I feel bad about uprooting the dandelion weeds in the garden when I could have cooked them all up.
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Dear Subroto,
I’ve never cooked dandelions and probably won’t. I do love seaweed, though. 😉 McDonald’s doesn’t exist in my world. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Hee, it does look a bit like Klingon food, though possibly not “alive” enough 🙂
I’ve never had seaweed, but I’d be up to try it!
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Dear Ali,
If properly prepared, seaweed is very tasty. 😉
Shalom,
Rochelle
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“Necessity is the mother of invention.”
Hunger can make us do such novel things, feed our family & become famous too! 🙂
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Dear Anita,
Hunger makes us creative, doesn’t it?”
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Querida Rochelle,
I could picture the young girl turning up her nose at the seaweed.
Virgin palettes still not cultured enough for exotic foods. I think seaweed and sushi make great bed partners. LOL
I remember that commercial from way back when. Did you know that Goldenrod makes a great dye for fabrics and yarn? YUP … I recently learned that at a fiber class I attended.
Another week of stories to read … enjoyed my 1st … this one.
Abrazos y Carino,
Isadora
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Querida Isadora,
I’m Jewish. Which means I was raised on Chinese food. 😉 Seriously, I was the kid who didn’t like hot dogs but loved spinach. Seaweed and sushi are in the top 10 of my favorite foods. Re my story. Gracias, mi amiga.
Shalom y abrazos,
Rochelle
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Klingon diet is a new specialist subject. Good piece.
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Thank you, Rob.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Best put the seaweed into a burger, it is hard work getting kids to eat their greens. Interesting post about Euell Gibbons
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Dear James,
I wonder how seaweed would work in a burger. For the most part, kids aren’t a big fan of greens. 😉 Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Haha oh dear. She doesn’t sound like a fan. A terrific piece this week Rochelle. You really paint a mood and vibe with only limited words!
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Dear Laurie,
Hopefully, Ariel will acquire a taste for the finer things in life. 😉 Thank you for such a lovely comment.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I wouldn’t pick up seaweed from the beach and eat it as is, but I love roasted seaweed from Asian food stores. From the comments, I see that you are also a seaweed fan. 🙂
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Dear Mags,
It just so happens I had sushi and a seaweed salad for lunch today. Tuna roll wrapped in seaweed. I love roasted seaweed, too. As far as that goes, I truly could live on Asian food. 😉 Thank you for coming by.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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