I’m a Taurus: Does that Mean I’m Full of Bull (and that I Should Avoid Criadillas in my Diet)?

Because Ann is making such a big deal about Aquarius, her birth sign, I decided it only fair to provide some astrological balance by devoting this Andy’s Corner to my birth sign – Taurus. Of course, I am at an immediate disadvantage because, unlike the Age of Aquarius which is relatively contemporary in astrological years, the Age of Taurus began somewhere around 4300 BC and ended in the neighborhood of 2150 BC. It’s been “so yesterday” for centuries. You don’t hear perky songs from Broadway musicals about “The Dawning of the Age of Taurus” nor do you find paintings of Taurus in wispy attire pouring water all over the place.

Before getting further into the astrology thing, I have to share something about my never-ending struggle with conjuring up clever titles. This time I thought I had nailed it with “full of bull” in the title. That is, until I did a “Taurus full of bull” online search yielding 1,225,000 results. So much for unique. But I still think it’s clever. Furthermore, I was tempted to suggest to Ann that she entitle her blog, Does Being Born an Aquarius Mean that I Can’t Hold my Water? However, I knew way better than to float that suggestion.

I have to admit that I know very little about astrology and have always considered it to be some sort of a colorfully quirky pastime for a few dedicated folks on the fringe. So it was somewhat of a shock when I learned, via a recent New Yorker article, how wrong I was

And even more shocking to me, the article contends that the resurgence of the practice is being fueled by Millennials “who see no contradiction between using astrology and believing in science.“ I have a hard time imaging what kind of compartmentalized logic it takes to juxtapose scientific knowledge with astrology. Perhaps Harvard’s Martin A. Nowak’s contention that science and religion need not be contradictory belief systems applies here. He argues that scientific and religious beliefs can occupy “different ecological niches in the brain” and serve different purposes.

Maybe this type of neuro-ecology helps explain my resentment for Ann’s holier-than-thou attachment to her Aquarian-ness. It’s possible that my negative feelings are a subconscious reaction from the ecological niche in my brain that takes astrology more seriously than the more rational niches of my brain.

This puzzling antagonism made me wonder about the compatibility of Taurians and Aquarians. I quickly discovered that there are a gazillion sites that deal with such weighty astrological interpersonal questions. Although most of the sources I came across suggest that Aquarians and Taurians are not an easy match, there is some hope. I found this on one of those gazillion sites:

Amal and George Clooney may be a case in point. Similar to Ann and I, they are not only a glamorous couple but they share our same birth-sign differences. Unfortunately, it will take 47 more years before we’ll know if George and Amal remain as compatible as we are.

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With the compatibility issue out of the way, I was curious about what astrology may have to say about my eating habits and preferences, this being a food blog and all. Of course, the answer was only a click away. Here’s a shortened version from a piece entitled appropriately enough, Food and Zodiac: Foods to Eat and Avoid Based on Your Zodiac Sign:

Whoa! I was ok with the “strong physical body” and “big appetite” parts but wasn’t expecting a thyroid/constipation-driven menu. I was relieved (so to speak) that they didn’t suggest that to be authentic we Taurus types had to munch on pasture grass or hay.

Despite the plethora of web sites dealing with all things astrological, I was surprised to find a dearth of information on the web about what I would consider to be a rather touchy food issue for those of us born under the sign of the Taurus. I couldn’t find one site that would give me any guidance on whether criadillas are acceptable on a Taurus dining table. Criadillas, for those who are not familiar with this Spanish term, are also referred to as huevos de toro. They are perhaps better known in the U.S. as Rocky Mountain oysters. If you haven’t figured it out by now, I am referring to bull (read, Taurus) testicles – properly cooked, of course.

Fortunately, it’s not difficult to find recipes on line for this culinary delicacy. Believe it or not, Ann and I served these as hors d’oeuvres at a large dinner party we threw for our LSU colleagues and friends many years ago. We actually had them shipped frozen from Colorado (already trimmed and breaded). Approximately half of our guests declined to try the dish. I wish I had thought back then to find out if any of the decliners were of the Taurus birth sign. Actually, the criadillas were quite good and I didn’t feel any remorse while eating them. Maybe that was a sign the it’s okay for we Taurus folks to include them in our diet.

For those who are curious and willing to try them, I thought it fitting to conclude with a recipe for Criadillas tacos (which would pair nicely with our 3 Favorite Aqua Frescas Ann included in today’s blog). Because our daughter Sara’s Tacolicious cookbook does not include a recipe for these tacos (probably for good reason), I’m providing a link to Criadillas a la Mexicana posted a while back by Leslie Harris de Limón. If you do try them and you’re a Taurus, let me know what you think.

¡Buen provecho! (i.e., Bon appetit!)