Honoring the Life and Work of fifi (Linda LaRose)

[christine007]

I too enjoyed her posts and I just want to offer my thoughts to her family.

I hope somehow this post of memories brings them comfort.

[MissAmy]

I always enjoyed reading Fifi's posts, and I know she will be sorely missed here on eGullet. My deepest sympathies go out to her friends and family.

[mizducky]

Aw nuts. I had been alerted to Linda's failing health, but I was hoping against hope that she'd somehow pull out of it. Sigh. Another person who I'd only ever met over the net, and she's gone. I too will fondly remember her foraging blog, even if the only foraging I'll probably ever do myself will be for easily-identifiable things like blackberries. Rest in peace, Linda, and may your memory be for a blessing.

[judiu]

Fifi and her beloved garlic-bashing "mushroom"! RIP, and a sweet trip to the Summerlands for you!

[patti]

This news makes me very sad. I knew she wasn't posting, but I'd hoped it was because she was busy enjoying her retirement and building her retirement home. Had she gotten started on it? How long had she been ill? *sigh*

Linda was one of the first eGulleters to be friendly to me when I started posting. I thoroughly enjoyed her fine sense of humor, as well as the informative content of her posts. She was warm and witty and wonderful. She often talked about her sons, and my sincere condolences go out to them.

[peppyre]

This is very sad news. I always enjoyed Linda's post and took and took a tremendous amount from them.

RIP

[Singapore]

Linda was one of the first eGulleters to be friendly to me when I started posting. I thoroughly enjoyed her fine sense of humor, as well as the informative content of her posts. She was warm and witty and wonderful.

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Agreed. Fifi was good people. We are greatly diminished by her passing.

[andiesenji]

I am having difficulty finding the words to express the sense of loss.

Linda and I exchanged many messages about odd and unusual kitchen gadgets. She had a great deal of knowlege and a great sense of fun - and she did love that SS mushroom-shaped garlic basher.

My fondest memories............ of fifi.

She will be missed but leaves behind volumes of helpful hints, practical advice and some terrific recipes.

(my favorites: Coconut glazed chicken and the oven-fried eggplant.)

[Country Cook]

Linda's posts were some of my favorites, I will miss her.

[stolincuervo]

I've lurked, for some time now.

This saddens me as I would have enjoyed interacting with such a lovely woman.

My thoughts of comfort go out to her family and friends.

[LindaK]

Fifi's smart and funny posts were one of the things that drew me to eG in the first place and convinced me to stop lurking and start posting.

I think I need to make some gumbo in her honor.

[CKatCook]

Although I mostly lurk here I am saddened to hear of the news. I too would have loved to have had the opportunity to get to know such a wonderful person. My thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends at this time.

[jess mebane]

Fifi was just that, to me. Like so many of you, brilliant and lovely on the page, larger than life in the mind and gone way too soon. I'm nodding behind Pan in the pew of snifflers: She's gone Where the Wild Things Are, and stepping lightly through green waves of coastal hay Texas only wished it could grow.

[KatieLoeb]

I can only echo what others here have said. It's hard to believe that one can feel so close to someone they've never met in person. Linda was a incredibly generous soul with her wisdom. My interactions with her were always pleasant and cheerful and left me better for having consulted her. I loved reading her well crafted posts. She'll be sorely missed, both here on eGullet and undoubtedly by those that had the pleasure of knowing her in the flesh. My deepest condolences to her family and friends. Take comfort in knowing she left a wide wake in her path. Many of us will miss her as well. There's no better measure of a person than that.

[Pat W]

I've been unable to check my email for several days & am terribly sad to hear the news.

Like several others here, Fifi's posts encouraged me to stop lurking and join the forum. They were such a pleasure to read & she seemed so nice. I think the "Molly Ivins with a skillet" description summed it up perfectly . I wish I could have met her.

I too, hope that her family & loved ones find some comfort in knowing just how far the ripples of her life extended.

pat w.

[Smithy]

Andie posted some of her favorite Fifi moments upthread. Here are a couple of my favorite vintage Fifi moments, from the thread on Moroccan Tagine Cooking.

Fifi, the materials scientist:

In summary, the differences you are seeing is how water is galloping around within the food, the pot and the various surfaces it comes in contact with. The more I think about it, the more I appreciate the genius of the design of a tagine. (My Rifi has been ordered. )

...and Fifi, the news reporter:

*Press Release - URGENT! Immediate broadcast requested.*

"It has come to our attention that there has been a run on tagines. The tagine market is in a shambles and tagine futures are soaring basis a deepseated fear in the marketplace that supply will not keep up with demand. A congressional committee in the US has been convened to investigate. Senator Honksalot has stated, 'We will get to the bottom of this deplorable situation. Our investigators are looking into a secret Society that operates on the internet.' Stay tuned to your local news sources for updates on this fast breaking news."

Until I met Fifi, I'd never known water could gallop. How I miss her wit and insight. How glad I am for the laughs and information we shared!

[lovebenton0]

Linda was a big part of my daily life when i lived in the tx forum and i returned to it after moving to another region mostly to continue that contact. but she was soon mia and it's hard to know she is gone. her posts, emails and pm are all more treasured now for me, as i will never see a new insight or laugh freshly with her again. as much as her knowledge, joy and love of life, food and cooking gladdened me, her passing saddens me.

condolences and many wonderful memories to her family and friends.

i'll bake biscuits for you, fifi.

[Richard Kilgore]

I realize now that I have celebrated Linda's life earlier this week with fish tacos at a local Mexican seafood joint located in what once must have been a DQ. And tonight with a plate of carnitas, burracho beans, cabbage-tomato-jalapeno salad, and hand made corn tortillas at another place. And I'll be making Linda's Coconut Glazed Chicken soon.

I'll think of her often when roaming the farmers markets, cooking beans in that black Columbian earthenware she loved, making onion confit, slow cooking paprika chicken on a bed of onions, or just glancing at the stainless steel mushroom she gave me that stands next to my cutting board. Or finding something exciting (or ridiculous) and wanting to call her once more to let her know and to hear her hearty peels of laughter.

A week ago William Safire was meandering through the uses and misuses of the phrase "one-off" in his "On Language" column in the New York Times Magazine. We could have made it a lot simpler for him if he had asked us.

One-Off: fifi.

Our world will be poorer without you.

Goodnight Linda.

[joesan]

How sad. She seemed like a lovely, smart lady. Definitely an eGullet fixture. She will be much missed.

[Chufi]

fifi was one of those people who gave eGullet a face and a voice when I first joined. A friendly face and an encouraging voice. I loved her posts, her enthousiasme, her passion.

I had noticed she was gone from the baords lately and I wondered about her, the way we wonder about our friends from online, people we´ve never actually met (and I never exchanged pm´s with fifi or got to know her personally), but who become familiar to us and part of our daily life.

I think I´ll go and re-read the confit thread now.

[patti]

I realize now that I have celebrated Linda's life earlier this week with fish tacos at a local Mexican seafood joint located in what once must have been a DQ. And tonight with a plate of carnitas, burracho beans, cabbage-tomato-jalapeno salad, and hand made corn tortillas at another place.  And I'll be making Linda's Coconut Glazed Chicken soon.

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Today, while perusing the 52 1/2 Weeks, 53 Soups thread, I realized that I'd made Linda's Mushroom Soup recipe two weeks ago. It was wonderful. Thanks, Linda.

I'll try that Coconut Glazed Chicken recipe soon.

[racheld]

I just this morning saw the In Honor Of . . . and was deeply saddened to hear of the loss of this vibrant, brilliant, funny friend. I had noticed her absence from our midst, but amongst the comings and goings of other things, had not taken proper notice.

I've loved meandering through Texas with her, entering restaurants and kitchens and markets scented with deep-brown spices. The descriptions of bubbling dishes and funny moments and landscapes are all flavored with a curiousity and an interest far beyond the taste of the moment. She not only told you about the recipe, but the reasons behind adding this or that, or a bit of history on the most arcane items on the menu.

I always thought of fifi as a laughing, good-sport gal, with somewhat of a martini-glass aura, or perhaps a shot of good whiskey to go with that smoky voice and the good times she portrayed in her posts. And though I never heard her speak, her voice came through in her words, with never a titter or simper, but a big loud boisterous laugh at herself or life or circumstance.

There is a soft gap in our ranks now, with bright observations and witty comebacks and throaty chuckles only memory, but those memories are long and pleasant. I'll miss our sweet, kind, intelligent funny friend, and I think this long afternoon will be spent in a good comfy re-read of her posts.

Or perhaps a sunny stroll of the countryside, alert for those lovely bits of lagniappe that we all pass without seeing. It's been wonderful to have such a knowledgeable guide through our own territory; she made quite an impression on me, and I'll miss her.

Thank you, fifi, for the lovely, rollicking tours, with all those interesting stopovers; it's been wonderful traveling with you.

[jsolomon]

Fifi was an example of someone who lived a full life, pursuing what interested her.

I'm glad I got to experience some part of her life here.

Godspeed, fifi

[bleachboy]

Oh man, what a bummer. I'm pretty much at a lost for words.

I have MANY of fifi's recipes in my bookmark list. They were all good.

Her "chicken and sausage gumbo" recipe, in particular, is one I refer back to again and again. What other recipe gives you hints as to when's a good time to go to the bathroom, and when's a good time to pour a glass of wine?

Her posts were not only highly informative -- and GOOD! -- they were also funny and evocative and a real pleasure to read.

She'll be missed.

Here's to you, fifi. *raises glass*