Memories…
This blog post idea caught me by surprise, as it were, because it was actually the writing of someone else, far more talented than I, for whom I follow, that sparked this moment of inspiration;
The quote is “Henry told me at bedtime it was his ‘best day ever’… followed by
“If the kids remember this time at all I want them to remember it as that weird summer where we had to stay home. Not as a bad time, and not even as a particularly super fun time, just ‘that time’. I don’t want it to live long in their memories.”
Small disclaimer at this point – the blog and writer I am quoting is Sarah Wragg, you can find her writing here at https://www.thelockdowndiaries.co.uk/ and for those of you who are simply struggling to cope with you and a significant other, or in my case a grumpy Dachshund, take a moment to think of all the parents of young children who have had to completely re-think their lives and try to make it work as best they can. Sarah (and Andy) seem to be doing great and with a large dose of humour thrown in for good measure.
Back to the point of this blog and the food point, more precisely is about memory and the powerful interaction that we as people have with food and the memories they hold.
To me there is nothing more poignant than that moment we are transported to another time, place or to the thought of another person from our lives by food. Food is and may be the only truly unifying principle of the human condition.
Everyone needs to eat to survive, everyone will have a favourite meal (I hope) and everyone should possess a memory of a food that is inextricably linked to another person in their lives mainly good, sometimes bad but linked nonetheless.
The reason I am writing about memories is that they have that innate ability to at least momentarily force all the noisy shit from our heads and allow us to revel in its glow and bask in its comforting embrace.
If you may allow me a moment of indulgence I will give you a couple of examples;
FISH & CHIPS
Every time I eat Fish & Chips I think of my wife.
I know what you are all thinking;
“How the hell did he end up with a wonderful women like her, with lines like that?”
Honestly, it’s a point of great contention within my friendship group. Some people are just born lucky, I guess this is where I lucked out.
The reason it reminds me of her goes back to when first starting dating, it was a meal we bonded over during our year living in America. Mainly because as Brits living in the US, you cannot find good Fish & Chips anywhere. They get it wrong 999 times out of 1000; so, it was a year of anticipation and waiting before we got our fix on our return to the UK. So, every time I eat it, I think of her. It warms my soul, every, single, time. It is my most favourite meal because of her and it cannot be beaten. END OF DISCUSSION
COFFEE
Actually, more precisely, it’s Kenya AA coffee from Waitrose…again I know, roll your eyes at my pretentiousness and stay with me. I could buy any other type, from any other shop. I buy this one because the taste reminds me of an incredible week spent with a friend who I rarely get to see because she lives in Kenya. Every time I have a cup of this delicious black miracle juice, it reminds me of her and the incredible friendship we have formed over the 15 years of knowing each other, regardless of how often we get to speak. This memory and all that goes with it is important to me…
PERI-PERI SAUCE
For many this will be a trip to Nando’s and the inevitable chilli sweats. This however for me reminds me of 5 wonderful people and spending 2 months travelling around Southern Africa. We spent the best part of 2 weeks in Mozambique, which is arguably the home of Peri-Peri sauce. What makes this memory even more poignant was that on a particularly hard day of travelling, where everything seemed to go wrong, the low-quality glass jar of incredible sauce we bought exploded in our travel fridge and coated everything in atomic levels of spicyness (this is how I choose to spell spiciness now btw) at exactly the same time a petrol can burst and soaked a month’s supply of Flapjacks in our dry stores…Great Stuff… I will never forget it.
TEA
This one stacks at the tippy top of memories for me and I could probably name you another 50 I have, quite easily.
Whether it’s enjoying endless Pint-Sized cups of Tetley, on the bed of my halls of residence room watching Scrubs with a guy I consider the first friend I ever made at University.
OR
The English Breakfast & Teapot I was bought for my 21st birthday present by the person who introduced me to my wife. I used to turn the AC down to 17°c in our apartment, put a dressing gown on over my clothes, make a pot of tea and revel in the absurdity of it all, as it was 37°c outside, 95% humidity in South Carolina and we lived a 200m walk from a beautiful sun drenched beach.
OR
The same old Stainless Steel teapot that my grandmother used to make her cup of tea every morning. I can still hear the tiny cymbal style crash of the hinged lid as it drops against the pot. It’s a feeling that lets me know everything will be alright and fills me with unrestrained happiness as does the taste.
Within the context of Young Henry I do hope he has memories of this summer that, he can look back on with happiness like some of the above, especially if they are food & drink related; they are some of my most profound and enjoyable.
For myself and the greater world; what I hope for is that we all can at least find the memories of joyfulness and happiness within our own homes, centred around food & drink, that we have cooked and eaten together. It will help to transport our minds to places unrestricted by our physical world and provide the respite our souls will undoubtedly need.
If this post is a bit too ethereal for your contemplation, I totally get it but I have a sulky dachshund for company who prefers the company of a rubber chicken rather than a snuggle on the sofa with me. So, I’m going to keep on giving you words to read because I’m feeling creative and I believe we have the power in our minds and our kitchens to free ourselves from the daily drudge.
Stay Home, Be Safe & Eat With Love…
All the best
Goose