After movie critic Roger Ebert had surgery for throat cancer, he lost the ability to speak, eat or drink. Once he lost these abilities, he found that he obsessed over food. (As you can read in his article, he realized that food memories accompanied these obsessions). You've written a food memory, but about what foods do YOU obsess? Why is this? (For me it was grape soda in India, I think because I loved it as a kid and it reminded me of home when I was in such a foreign culture).
Sometimes the loss of the ability to taste, can allow a great tide of emotions to flood forth. As sad as it is that Mr. Ebert can no longer eat foods, one must feel for him as for ever place he goes to its those memories that bring him back, the conversations with friends, and the great times shared with others. I obsess about Iced tea, its my favorite drink. I'm not talking about the sweetened sugar filled crap that coca-cola makes. I mean real sun blanched tea bags soaking for hours to give you true flavor. I've enjoyed tea for years, as I will for some time to the future.
ReplyDeleteI never had realized how much I obsess over venison. Prior to my arrival I had it on lock I could eat venison steaks whenever I wanted them. Now since I arrived here, i feel myself desiring them. Don't get me wrong I did see it on the cuisine of the Americas menu, but I couldn't trust it. I like my steaks rare to medium rare and from my experiences if it gets to medium well to well it gets very tough and rather gamey. I did see someone's plate today who did get venison and I was relieved to see it was medium, so I think I will give it a try next time I see it offered. But it's not stopping me from bringing back some steaks of my own the next time I'm home.
ReplyDeleteWhile reading this article I had quite a few food memories run through my head and had a difficult time trying to fathom not being able to participate in one of my favorite hobbies, such as sampling different flavors and food. I love to travel and Im constantly planning my next opportunity to get out of dodge and experience something new. What draws me to the “road” is experiencing different cultures through food and friendships. Before I came to the CIA I embarked on a trip I have been setting up logistics for a couple years now and saw December as my last chance to do it. My goal was to kayak a few very famous rivers in the Patagonia region of Chile. I originally planned on traveling down there when I finished school(depending on my bank balance after two years in school) but then discovered in the next two years they would be building dams and flooding whole sections of these river valleys for hydroelectric power. At the same time I came across a quote about how people lose themselves in the madness of everyday life and what are you more fearful of “bankruptcy of pocket or bankruptcy of soul”. I made the choice to go and after over 48 hours of planes, buses, ferries and sketchy taxi rides(keep in mind I was traveling with a 75 lbs. kayak that was over 6 feet long) I met up with friends of mine in a small town of about 1200 located on the Chilean/Argentinian border. That night they surprised me with traditional Argentinian Asado and cold beers resting in a mesh net in the river. The river which runs primarily from the glacial run-off was no more than 33-34 degrees and together the food, cold beverages and company made the strenuous travel worth every stressful second. The delicious grass fed local lamb crispy from the flare ups from the fat dripping on the hot coals, the potatoes, peppers, onions, and garlic all slow cooking in the hot ashes, and then all finished sharing a traditional yerba mate(a local drink similar to green tea but drank out of one large shared cup with a silver or steel straw) is a memory that no one can take away from me. Hearing Ebert talk about meals he can still taste/remember even though he can no longer eat hits home because sitting here in NY over 6000 miles away from where I ate that evening and I can still remember every feeling, taste and flavor I experienced that night. I think it also urges us to embrace our passions and continue to experience everything we want to because one day memories might be all one can turn too.
ReplyDeleteI have noticed over the past seven years since I moved from the Boston area to Southern California that I obsess about iced coffee-specifically Dunkin' Donuts iced coffee: flavored with French vanilla with far too much sugar. The funny part is I cannot stand sweetened or flavored coffee when it’s not iced in those pink and orange cups. I’ve come to the realization that Dunkin Donuts is what brings me back to the most salient moments of my childhood-it’s what my mother brought me as a treat to enjoy during my preschool graduation (decaf of course), what we were both sipping as I tearfully challenged the end of our weekend visits, and what my mother frantically scrambled to pay for when her cravings set in. This past weekend I visited my uncle in Connecticut and demanded we go to Dunkin Donuts each day—not because it tasted good or because I was tired, but because I seek and cherish the nostalgia the drink provides. It’s not all pleasant—but it’s intense and real and suspended only in those condensation-dripped, pink and orange plastic cups.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in the hospital, the doctors told me that I could only eat fresh fruit, vegetables, lean meats, and 2 grams of fat, and a list of what I can't eat. The list included miso soup. One day when I was 12, my friend told me to try it. It gave me a warm feeling like everything is going to be all right. The soup means comfort to me. The hospital told me I couldn't have the soup which meant to me that I couldn't have comfort. At least once a week, I have miso soup and it is better now that I have been denied it and the memories are even stronger.
ReplyDeleteWhen I moved to Glasgow, I remember my mom sneaking in American foods that she thought I needed- like- FLUFF! I've only had Fluff a handful of times in my life and it certainly didn't need to make the cut into my checked baggage allowance. In fact, there were minimal foods or beverages I missed over the close to seven years I was across the pond. I wonder if this was because I wanted to be as far away from home as possible? I will say this: When I returned, I became very nostalgic for things that made me miss Glasgow. There were certain food rituals I experienced: like eating cheaply for an entire month but on the last Sunday of the month decking out and going to the best restaurant in the city for the pre-fixe theater course, or the smell of my laundry after working a dingy day in the cafe, or most memorably I became obsessed with Kebabs. What I realized when I arrived home, after ordering Kebabs from the tri-state area....it wasn't the kebab I loved so much as the sweet hot chili sauce that came with every kebab and pakora order. The chili sauce wasn't anything fancy, it probably was pretty darn cheap too, but i OBSESSED over it. I have since given up my search after finding ONE place on the east coast that can compare. In Providence, at East Side Pockets (which is open until like 2 am on Thayer Street)...they have that delicious sauce. I've been known to travel almost two hours just for a kebab-that's commitment and in theory it's not that far off from travel time to Glasgow. To sum it up though, I like most people, strongly cradle both food and emotional sentiment in the same hand. I have a close friend who is a Columbia Grad Student and she has been working on literary pieces with Riker's inmates...I wanted to look into talking to death row inmates and why they choose their selection for last meal...but a million people have beat me to it...a little off track but also very interesting parallel.
ReplyDeleteThere's really only one type of food that I've been missing/obsessing over since I arrived at the CIA: Rice. Regular, plain white rice.
ReplyDeleteComing from a Filipino household where we had rice with every meal, to a place where rice is relatively rare outside of Asian cooking, is a little unnerving to me. I never realized how much I'd miss it until I didn't start having it with 2 or 3 meals out of the day. It's such a staple at home that I just got used to having it around. Admittedly, the need for rice has lessened a bit, but I'm positive that it will never truly leave me until I start eating it on a regular basis again. It's just one of those foods that I've eaten since I was young and have since, come to expect it with each meal. Don't get me wrong, the food at the CIA is fantastic. But, as a Filipino, I NEED my rice!
Andrew Asistin
Gastronomy 6:30 Tues. and Thurs.