TWO INLETS — How on earth did Amy Thielen end up with 12 feet of solid grease in her kitchen sink drain?
She would never pour anything like bacon fat directly down it.
"I like to keep a really hot sink, you know? Sudsy, and then I let it all go down at the same time because I know that kind of flushes the pipes, right?"
Turns out maybe not. She described her sink situation like prep for a colonoscopy.
Amy is determined, in the future, to not let one scrap of fat go down the drain, and perhaps get a sign made for guests who help her with the dishes.
All this trauma about grease in the kitchen reminded Amy of her mother and grandmother and their signature grease cans under the sink. She's talking about the flavorful grease from something like a beef roast that can not only be used again, but turns out to be rather tasty, especially when making french fries.
All food roads lead to Moms
Amy's kitchen troubles forced her to cook outside more lately to lighten the dishes load, which got her thinking of childhood.
"When I was a kid I was always amazed by how my mom could make so much out of such simple circumstances or compromised situations."
She said, "I remember when the lights went out at the lake cabin and the power went out and she would use the pudgy pie makers."
The pie iron held over the flame consisted of buttered white bread filled with fruit or other fillings.
Amy's mom also had a special way of making eggs with bacon fat, called grease eggs. "It's like deep frying an egg," she said, remembering all the little kids would jump and cry out "grease eggs!"
Good news! Ham Radio: Cooking With Amy Thielen will be back at the end of June! Until then, enjoy this side of Ham, no charge! Listen to our full conversation with Amy and leave us a Speak Pipe message tip about your mom's cooking!
