Jello(I am using this term to refer to gelatin in general but I do prefer the Jell-O brand) is on my list of comfort foods. I really like jello. I like the smell of the powder, the colors, the flavors, the texture, and I never fail to be impressed by the way you can actually suspend other foods inside of it. (I never have and never will put spam in jello---there is a line between creative and disgusting) You can mold it, whip it, or cut it into jiggly shapes. For me jello is the edible equivilent to Silly Putty or Play-Doh. My son doesn't eat jello because he doesn't like the texture. For me, jello doesn't hold together in your mouth long enough to be offensive. I like sinking my teeth into it. There is no threat to my crowns.
I realize that when I confess my fondness for jello that I am risking becoming a real live caricature of myself (I thought about it---it's possible); a middle-aged LDS housewife from Utah who happily serves jello as a side dish as well as a dessert and takes jello salads to ward dinners. Members of the LDS church, especially those from Utah, have long been associated with jello. Green jello pins were sold at the 2002 Olympics in Utah. It is a fact that jello consumption is pretty high in the state of Utah and jello salads have always been standard fare at LDS church dinners. Although for the past decade I think LDS women have been trying to break out of the jello mold so to speak and try newer more exciting dishes. I know non LDS people in other states eat jello too. The Jell-O Museum is in the state of New York and I was surprised when I went to a luau on the island of Kauai to find jello on the menu---perhaps the luau was run by members of the LDS church---jello wasn't on my list of exotic island dishes but it tasted much better than the poi.
I made a favorite jello concoction just last Friday. It is a Rainbow Jello Salad. It is made with 6 different flavors of jello that represent 6 out of 7 colors of the rainbow. (Unfortunately they don't make an indigo shade of jello but making this salad helped me learn the order of colors in a rainbow. My oldest daughter introduced me to Roy G. Biv to help me remember) Each flavor is split into 2 layers, one layer just dissolved in boiling water and the other layer dissolved in boiling water with sour cream whisked into it. The end result is an incredible 12 layer rainbow comprised of one translucent and one opaque layer of each color. I put it in a 13x9 glass dish and cut it into squares so you can appreciate all of the layers. This is more than a salad. It's an edible creation that is aesthetically pleasing! You can actually peel the layers and eat them one at a time like my grand daugther did. Pieces of it look like it fell from the sky onto your plate. It tastes pretty good. It doesn't stimulate your taste buds like the luscious lemon and tarragon of bearnaise or embrace your taste buds like warm homemade rolls with butter but it gently tickles your taste buds while entertaining your tongue. (Yes, I could use more adventure in my life) I got the recipe from a neighbor years ago and the last few years it has become a traditional part of my pre-Easter brunch. It doesn't really take talent to make, just time and patience, and it looks so cool. It obviously gives this LDS housewife a sense of accomplishment and could very well be considered the piece de resistance of jello recipes.
I hope this post 'sets' well with you...
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