Smiley Anders for October 10, 2009

• By SMILEY ANDERS
• Advocate columnist
• Published: Oct 10, 2009 - Page: 1B

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Dear Smiley: While you were in Back Brusly, I was in Center Croatia.

The Croatian government has a scheme to increase the income of small farmers. A farmer may act as a restaurateur and serve home-cooked meals to visitors if 80 percent of the food served comes from his farm. Sort of a breakfast without a bed.

Our tour included a home visit to such a farm outside Dubrovnik, where the men of the family demonstrated their antique olive-grinding mill powered by a very bored horse.

They served us their own cheese and grappa (grape brandy) while the lady of the house prepared supper.

I am a Southerner by choice, so I know to bring a hostess gift with me. I usually bring Louisiana food mixes that are easily packed and well-received.

Our guide helped me explain to our Croatian hostess, who spoke no English at all, exactly what I had given her.

We easily got through the Bruce Sweet Potato Pancake Mix, but there was a bit of a problem with Slap Ya Mama Seasoning — “slap” means “waterfall” in Croatian.

We bogged down a bit when I produced the Oak Grove Jambalaya Mix, but as soon as I said “jambalaya” she grinned and burst into song: “Jambalaya, crawfish pie, filé gumbo!”

God bless Hank Williams and Jo Stafford, Louisiana ambassadors without portfolio.

Marsha Reichle
Baton Rouge

English lesson
Dear Smiley: My wife, Pam, and I chose our grandparent names at the birth of our first grandchild, because we didn’t want to be Maw Maw, Paw Paw, etc. She is Nana and I’m Daddy Walt.

We are raising our 15-year-old granddaughter Chay, who, coming from Texas, sometimes has problems with south Louisiana English.

A few days ago I answered the phone, and Chay’s voice asked, “Is Nana by you?”