The Round Table – was first mentioned by the twelfth century Norman poet Wace in his “Roman de Brut” based on a translation of the Historia Regum Britanniae (the History of the Kings of Britain by Geoffrey of Monmouth). Wace presented his poem to Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine (Aliénor d’Aquitaine, Éléonore de Guyenne), wife of King Henry II and mother of King Richard Cœur de Lion and his brother John of Magna carta fame.
French and English literature abounds with tales of old when knights were bold in the days of the Roundtable of King Arthur. And, while interesting, has nothing to do with this roundtable which sits in the main dining area of the Coffee House on Cherry Street (C.H.O.C.S.).
About the only thing in common with the tales of King Arthur is that the table is in fact round. Those seated are customers who share the news of the day, opinions on current events—and just about everything else, and observations on the human condition.
Each opinion is as valid as the next; if you take offence then you probably shouldn’t be at the table. The group varies from time of day, day of the week and whether or not you care to come in that day.
I have asked members of this informal group to comment from time to time on subjects they feel need their attention.
Should a reader feel compelled to respond they may do so to this site. A note of caution: Do not necessarily expect a reply, and if one is forthcoming? I don’t promise you will like it.
Members of the Roundtable:
BY NATALIE MIKLES
Tulsa World Scene Writer
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
SAVORING SALSA
Morning is a good time for a salsa contest. But by 10 a.m. last Wednesday, the temperature was already climbing. That didn’t stop people from making it to the Brookside Farmers Market’s Salsa Contest. With tasting kits in hand, they sampled from three categories: traditional, nontraditional and children’s.
Richard Fricker won first place in the traditional category for his salsa named after Cheri Asher of the Coffee House on Cherry Street.
“I develop the mixture by smell, not by taste,” he said. “When you’re working on it, the flavors have not had time to blend, so you have to use some other method of telling when you have all the portions right. If it smells like what you want, it usually is what you want.”
Fricker divulged a few secrets for Tulsa World readers: He uses two types of onions (sweet white and spring green) and two types of peppers (jalapeno and serrano). The combination of peppers and onions gives the salsa a blend of flavor rather than just a hot taste. Two more tricks you may want to use the next time you make salsa are to press rather than chop the garlic and to use the juice of a whole lime.
Richard Fricker won first place in the traditional salsa category. As an alternative, sometimes he adds shrimp or avocado to his salsa.
HOT MAMA CHERI SALSA
2 medium white onions, chopped
1/2 bunch green onions, chopped
1/3 bunch cilantro, chopped very fine
2 or more medium tomatoes
3 medium cloves garlic, pressed (not chopped)
3 jalapenos, chopped with seeds
3 or 4 serrano pepper, chopped with seeds
Juice of 1 lime
1. Stir to combine. It’s best to let it sit for a few hours, stirring occasionally.
