Thoughts on the 6 pieces of Secret Ingredients
In the piece Nor Censure nor Disdain, I could not help but notice the following line defining casseroles. According to the Larousse , it is "very popular in homes where there are no servants".
I was laughing out loud. The piece was written in 1968, but still, ...how many of your parents had servants back home during their childhood? Mine certainly had not. I guess the Larousse does not fear being made of fool of.
As far as the piece itself is concerned, MFK Fisher opens it by stating " Casseroles are, I think, an American phenomenon". I agree with the author. I do not remember ever having casseroles in France or in Italy.
The ideas that " rules can be learned by unskilled beginners" and that " one ingredient should dominate" reassure me. I can do this, it does not seem impossible. I promise, I'll try to make a casserole when I go back to France this summer! :)
PS: I really liked the sentence " I prefer to think of as my inventiveness rather than my lazy penury".
The piece An attempt to compile a short history of the Buffalo Chicken Wing made me realize that one can never be 100% sure about the exact invention date of a dish.
The Homesick Restaurant piece narrates the story of starting from scratch when you are in exile. It hints at political issues ( Castro in Cuba...). I liked the idea that people were able to find a new home while recreating a homey environment. A safe haven in Florida.
The magic Bagel underlines the story of a father who is missing her daughter. The quest for the perfect bagel around the US ( Kansas City, NYC, SF, LA) and the evolution of the bagel are just pretexts to write about a deeper meaning than the bagel. I thought this was nicely done.
The Secret Ingredient piece made me think about how much a meal can be controlled. Remember what the author said " She dictated everything but our actual digestion". How much can you control a meal? How do you control it ?
Finally, the Rat in my soup piece, I must say, took away my appetite. ( Yes, I know, what a silly to read this before going to lunch, right?) Well... what can I say ? This is for sure a totally different way of eating. It is new and unusual ( for me at least!). I link the part when the rat has to be chosen with what we said in class: Are you able to eat what you just killed? Or will you be able to eat something if you have to pick the dead animal first?
Honestly, I am not sure I'll be able to do this, especially if this is a rat. Life is made out of challenges, I am just not ready for this one ( at least yet!)
To be continued....
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