Who loves bologna? I love bologna.

I'm not going to apologize. I love bologna. I have loved it ever since I ate my first bologna sandwich on Wells Beach when I was just a little kiddo. It was all warm from the sun. I was cold from playing in the ocean for much longer than I probably should have. It was on soft, white wonder bread and it had full fat mayonnaise on it. The processed meat was sweet and salty and so so so delicious.
When I grew up, bologna was vilified by doctors and health experts and my healthy husband. But what do they know? They have never had a bologna sandwich with crunchy potato chips inside. They have never run home from school starving for a bologna sandwich. They have never had fried bologna and mashed potatoes for their hot lunch at school. They have never had to solve the debate over mayonnaise or miracle whip with their siblings. Bologna has a place in my heart...(a literal place probably) and I truly believe that my affection for it will protect me from its terribly unhealthy side effects.
This is why at Central BBQ in Memphis, Tennessee, I had to try the smoked bologna sandwich with BBQ sauce and coleslaw. I had an obligation to my younger self to honor the little girl on the beach. And this is also why I had to finish the half that my healthy husband couldn't manage to finish eating. Yes. I love bologna and true love lasts a lifetime.

BBQ and Boiled Peanuts

I'm traveling south this winter. Not India, just America, but this foodie is going to to investigate the BBQ all along the way. We got to check out Black's BBQ in San Antonio, Texas a couple years ago and it was pretty awesome. It was there where I learned the true meaning of "moist".  But Black's spoiled me. I expect brisket to be that delicious every time.  So I was a little disappointed in Full Service BBQ in Maryville, Tennessee. Not terrible by any means, but for my first BBQ of this adventure, I was hoping for more MOIST. I take comfort though in knowing it will be getting better and better. A bit of advice. ALL BBQ tastes better after you have taken a five mile hike in the Smoky Mountains.

But what I really want to whine about is boiled peanuts. I guess it's a popular country snack in North Carolina. We saw it advertised on the side of the road a bunch of times. Finally, when we stopped for gas, I discovered a couple of crock pots in the store with boiled peanuts and "hot" boiled peanuts. I suppose a gas station isn't the best place to buy them, but I scooped out a few of each and we snacked on them in the car on our way to the Smoky Mountain Parkway.
They were strange indeed. The usually hard shells were boiled so they were soggy, but still hard to open. In fact, they were even harder to open. They were super salty and the wet peanuts inside were strangely spongy and slippery. I shared them with John as he drove and it was hard to give him nuts that were intact and not falling apart into a soggy mess. It makes me wonder who decided to boil peanuts the first time. I imagine it's a snack that grows on you, but it wasn't my favorite eating experience. Or perhaps John's vivid description of the peanuts being like "squeezing a tick" added to my dismay.