Forsyth MO. -
In an otherwise completely nondescript small town located in southwestern Missouri, a revolutionary new grilling technique was born. The question now is just how popular the practice will become!
I was sitting at a local bar on an otherwise droll sort of cheerless day in January where the outside temperature was near freezing. Unfortunately, so was the bar due to a heating unit failure. So, it was, in an attempt maintain a modicum of body heat, that I had absconded with a small candle sitting on the bar that gave my chilled fingers some small amount of life-giving heat....
There I sat, sipping my brew-ski while watching flat screen TV at the far end of the bar. Suddenly, a somewhat strange looking man sitting next to me, roughly reached over and grabbed my candle. I was sure a fight was brewing when he did that and looked at him with a glare. Instead, the strange man smiled at me and proceeded to take a pretzel from a bag, slide it onto a straw and then held it over the flame. After a moment or two, he grabbed that morsel and ate it. A smile of satisfaction breaking out on his face.
'I say there. sir.' I intoned in a strident tone of voice that broke. ' But, what the heck are you doing with those pretzels and MY candle?'
He smiled back at me, and then handed me the straw and another pretzel and said, 'Here. Give it a try.'
As I was a bit flummoxed and unsure, I decided to do as he had instructed..... Then, after a moment or two, I grabbed the now warm morsel and ate it. Too my great surprise, it was incredible, as there was a hint of pumpkin pie taste that must have been given off by the pumpkin pie scented paraffin.
After that moment, it was with wild abandon that we both began to grill pretzels while drinking, laughing and watching the fog given off each time we exhaled into the cold bar air....
And so, something new came out of the evening, as I intend to bring pretzels and candles with me on my next visit....