It's about 3 am. on Monday morning, and Montana-cold outside, and we haven't had power for 24 hours. (Not complaining here; only giving context.)

There's a noise out on the road.

Three huge power trucks roll up, yellow flashers illuminating the deep dark. Men begin walking the streets with sun-god like flashlights, searching the trees for broken power lines. Again: it may be 10 degrees outside, 15 at best.

At one point, there were 7,000 or so folks out of power here following Sunday's storm. (In Nashville, half the city lost power.)

Fixing it all? These crews of men and women from EPB (and elsewhere) who worked through the night and day and cold and ice to restore power to so many homes.

Not sure how quite to say thank you. Pressing my nose up to the cold window, watching them walk and work the 3 am streets restoring power for all these strangers who huddled in their homes, I was struck once more by the power of generosity. Unfiltered, unconditional care and generosity.

I had daydreams of brewing giant urns of coffee and warm bread and delivering them. (But, we didn't have power, so ...).

This may be the century of first-responders. (I care far more about them than AI.) 9/11. Covid. Increasing weather damage. There is an unconditional quality here in times of such conditionality and side-taking. They just worked. Served. Restored.

Small here, but definitely genuine: thank-you.

More on this in Sunday's Food as a Verb.

Another storm story:

A few days prior, a friend went to see the Mennonite community near Fall Creek Falls. She was buying seeds or feed or something.

Back at home, we'd all seen and heard the weather alert emergency warnings. We all had.

There?

"Whatcha think about this storm?" she said, making small talk.

"What storm?" he answered.

****

This weekend, it's back.

Skillet-curling.

Right on time for the start of the Winter Olympics, skillet-curling combines the old sport of curling with a Southern twist:

Lodge cast-iron.

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We first heard of this event two years ago. The Wu Tang Pans? The Outsliders?

Puhleeze. You had us at skillet.

The origin story is a good one; never underestimate the power of a few friends brainstorming new ways to compete over a few beers.

Competitors curl Lodge cast-iron skillets toward a bacon press, tossed casually, or strategically, onto the First Horizon Pavilion ice.

Eight skillets are tossed in one round, with points awarded for the closest.

Best of all? The NoogaCurling is a fundraiser for the Chattanooga Area Food Bank.

This year's goal? To raise $100,000.

Find the schedule here, along with vendors, food trucks and beers on tap.

Coming Friday? Clumpies releases its Valentine's Mini Menu with debuting flavors like:

• Chocolate Lava Cake 
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• Raspberry Truffle 
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• Red Velvet Cake 
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• Strawberry Kiss 

We hung out with the Clumpies folks not too long ago. Never forget the power of cow-to-cone integrity; some folks skimp and skip on the process. Not Clumpies, which is made entirely in-house, pasteurizing its own milk, some 16,000 gallons annually, which is basically unheard-of in the industry.

They're also hosting upcoming events on Feb. 7, which is National Ice Cream for Breakfast Day.

"True Chattanoogans know it is made here. And made down the street," said Chef Ashley Bottoms. "In the land of Mayfield, we make it a few miles down the road. At most, three miles down the road."

Stay warm everyone.

See you Sunday.

Story ideas, questions, feedback? Interested in partnering with us? Email: david@foodasaverb.com

This story is 100% human generated; no AI chatbot was used in the creation of this content.

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