Artichoke Season! Memories in Every Leaf
Memory food... The food coop in my area gets the bestest artichokes. I remember "in season" food. There's something about Pea season, Strawberry season, Fennel Season, Pear season... you know what to do... the body and mind has a rhythm. Even when you can get things any time of year, still when it's in season, it's better. Evoking time and place though smells, the clothes, connection to family, sunlight... seasonal rhythms...oh yup ... this is gonna be good....
How to: Artichoke leaf spikes trimmed and prepped, also spreads the artichoke open a bit to receive - while singing of course - fennel fronds, a little imported cheese on top of an oil drizzle, a little tiny bit of fresh lemon... steam until the inner leaves pull out easily... let rest gently... then DINNER!
....maybe with a good movie. It takes time to work your way through it...no way at all, absolutely impossible to rush-eat an artichoke. HAHAHA, I never thought about it like that... no, no way. I'll have to think what other foods I eat that are impossible to eat in a gulp-ish manner. As a culture we zOOm food in general. I MOSTLY don't think of food. It's just how a mood or schedule goes. Sometimes, I just want to eat.. Sometimes I have the hungry horrors (and I don't want to talk about it) <- except it's almost funny.
I don't understand the rush the food thing at gatherings or holidays especially...making it the main focus to get through...all the money and time to just POOF gorge the meal and feel terrible. I also don't get along with silverware very well. Even at my age. I should probably get along with silverware (and furniture) better than I do. My mother told me this could eventually be a problem. It's not really. I can straighten up and pretend for a while. Ok, Maybe sometimes it's a little problem. I might be more feral than I should be in certain settings. But it's so WONDERFUL to get my fingers into the food.
Back to the artichoke:
There's plenty of time most days to rush our food, but artichoke is good conversation food...it makes one slow down and know what you're experiencing as your fingers plunge in, pull, twist and your mouth expertly scrapes and suckles out the tender bits - every texture, scent, and flavor is buoyant - each bite its own, because the many artichoke leafs is its own, requiring your presence with each chosen bite ... as your conversation would be with your words together. This day, there is less conversation to be had. Food is also a good mood, background thing - like music, lighting, time of day.
Today, it's a deliciously quiet day. Movie it is... It will be a conversation between me, my artichoke, and the story the movie will weave for us.
What food do you find impossible to eat quickly? That is your memory food? is conversation food - food as ambiance? Food as ritual or seasonal? Food ... Talk to me about your food...
Maybe with the gatherings of holidays or bbqs see if food can become a supporting actor rather than the main show... A good supporting cast can make or break the primary performance. Mmmmovie time...
mmmm food....
Love to all, Mangia..
Birdi Sinclair