Thursday, February 09, 2006

The Meaning of Food

"Beyond merely nourishing the body, what we eat and with whom we eat can inspire and strengthen the bonds between individuals, communities, and even countries."

一個愛吃愛煮的人,該絕對是講飲講食電視節目的die hard fan吧。上星期四早回家,看了亞視國際台一齣documentary - The Meaning of Food,今晚也看了。 節目由一位名叫Marcus Samuelsson的「黐月利筋」廚師主持,由於介紹煮食過程的片段不多,便沒放多少心思去看。直至看到一位媽媽以快、狠、勁的高超唧cream技術,為女兒婚宴中每檯做一個蛋糕,才繼續用心去看,愈看愈越沉重,卻愈看愈好看!

Food Speaks. 在納粹德國的女性集中營裏,甲女士聽到睡在上鋪的兩位太太,鉅細無遺地說著家鄉傳統食譜,不禁眼冒火星──她們可是每隔兩三天才獲分發一塊麵包,已然飢腸轆轆,還得咽著口水,聽著想著那些遙不可及的美食,簡直是折磨!後來,她才知道,她們不知道誰能繼續生存,為了給下一代保留傳統,才把它們口傳下來。最後,她們去世了,甲女士僥倖生還,大戰後,就將那很多很多個晚上聽到的食譜出版成書 (In Memory's Kitchen: A Legacy from the Women of Terezin),以警世人……

多年前,美國某州(忘了)監獄內的囚犯乙某獲派替死囚做「最後晚餐」的工作,他最初老大不願意,直至一次,一位死囚吃過他做的食物,向他衷心致謝,他才感覺自己工作的重要。快將要死的人,會選甚麼做最後一餐的食物?有人選牛扒,有人選漢堡包薯條,有人選冰淇淋。乙某邊做邊想:「他/她們為甚麼這樣選?這對他/她們一定有極重大的意義吧!」乙某知道自己做的每一餐,都包含了一個生命的故事,所以,他很用心地做下去……

Food Bonds. 美國某鎮(忘了)有一種代代相傳的小吃──kolaches。為了加強老少兩代的溝通,該鎮每年都會舉辦kolaches大賽。每年,家中的婆婆媽媽都會出山教兒子孫子做kolaches參賽,那可是當地的盛事。平素看似不可一世的年青人小孩子,真的因著這件盛事而虛心受教;孫子贏了比賽,婆婆也真的樂得要哭出來了……

The Meaning of Food,嚴重推薦!

2 comments:

mclamb said...

Imagine one day that, when we're all retired, we come together to reminisce on memorable food events that bonded us together during the different phases of our lives--the gingerbread people contests, the homecooking and baking, and tea gatherings, the breakfasts, lunches, brunches and dinners, the Mongkok street snacks that we munched on after work, and many more--and put them in words as our memoirs. 'Food of Our Time'. Wouldn't that be fantastic?

fating said...

yes, but this surely will be tearjerking, and it is now, when it recalls the memory of Isaac playing guitar for us on the gingerbread people contest night...