Friday, February 18, 2011

And More of this Kind of Thing

Yesterday I was incensed that some hooker on the "Food Network" called a pecan a "pee can." That sort of thing is a bit irritating. The more I thought about it it seems that the same folks who commit this type of transgression are apt to call New Orleans "New Orleens." Good Lord that grates on the nerves. It is New Orlins to most of us and Nawlins to one who is actually from the area. Either is acceptable. New Orleens is not. Ever heard of a praline? Many have not I am sure. It is a sickly sweet pecan candy that is famous and popular in parts of the south and the Nawlins area in particular. I myself have always found them a bit too sweet for my taste, but that is beside the point. They are called pralines as in praw leens. They certainly are not pronounced "pray leen." It is Un American to do so. Important stuff is this.

2 comments:

Jayhawk said...

Sorry, bubba, my grandmother, who had five pecan (yes, not pee-can as in can of tomatoes) trees in her yard, made the best pralines (pray-leens) in the history of mankind. In part it was due to the pecans which came from her own trees, near Milliken's Bend, LA. The origin of the word is French. Think about it.

Unfortunately, lightening killed one of the trees, which turned out to be the only male tree, and the other four stopped producing. Prior to that I didn't know that pecan trees were male or female, but it turns out they are. Both produce pecans and you cannot tell the difference by looking at them.

Bartender Cabbie said...

Yes it seems that the best pralines are made in Louisiana. I just find them too sweet for me. Still I probably find myseft eating at least a dozen or so a year. They always tend to show up around my house near Christmas.