"Depending on my mood, I treat myself to a dozen snails, a plate of Alsatian sausage with sauerkraut, and a bottle of late-vintage golden Gewurztraminer; or else I savor a simple soft-boiled egg with fingers of toast and lightly salted butter. What a banquet! The yolk flows warmly over my palate and down my throat. And indigestion is never a problem."
(Ahh, now I'm getting hungry ... )
What's your favorite food memory(ies)? I'll go first, if you like:
Eating ice cream for the first time
I actually don't remember this, but my mom apparently does. She said I was a toddler at the time and went into a state of pure ecstasy, eyes closing and mouth opening for more. Hee hee...
When he described that food, it really hit me how horrible it would be to have such fond memories and even an appetite but to not be able to eat. Occasionally I think about what it would be like to be blind or to not be able to walk. But we take the pleasures of eating for granted so much that you never really think what it would be like to be utterly deprived of them.
ReplyDeleteFavorite food memory? I honestly have too many to single one out! A fairly recent one (that I'm sure will nevertheless stand the test of time) is a meal I had with Erin in St. Louis: the Lobster Albanello from Tony's. It was buttery hunks of tender lobster in a luscious wine/cream sauce with mushrooms and shallots. It was delicious to a surreal degree! Adding to the experience was the best service I've ever seen in a restaurant (really beautiful old-school manners, absolute devotion to food) and the tallest meringue I've ever beheld!
I'd like to see you as a toddler going nuts about ice cream, Shanxi.
Yes, the food passage definitely hit home. Food and drink are one of life's pleasures. And sitting down to a meal with someone is a wonderful thing. So much of our social lives is built around food and drink.
ReplyDeleteThis discussion reminded me of a piece Roger Ebert wrote about losing the ability to eat: "Nil by mouth."
I have a lot of favorite food memories from childhood: sharing oyster stew with my dad, making bologna and white bread sandwiches with my nephew Ryan, getting a big bowl of potato salad for my birthday from my grandma.
Wow! I just read the "Nil by mouth" entry, Erin, and it's fascinating. What an idea, to replace what he had lost with what he remembered.
ReplyDeleteAnd kc, your description of the buttery hunks of lobster makes me want to travel to St. Louis - it was that powerful!
I still find it interesting that food blogs are so popular. I mean, I guess we all like to look at food recipes and photos even thought it's hardly likely that we'll ever eat them, right? You can't taste a photograph...
Yeah, that's something about food, isn't it? You can enjoy simply looking at beautiful pictures of food, or watching it being made, like on cooking shows.
ReplyDelete