Revelations from Europe
Fresh seasonal cooking is not an exception in most places in the world. The fact that the US somehow has to revive this idea and actually talk about it, instead of doing it naturally, may be a big clue about the state of our collective health and welfare. When we were in Prague and Vienna, mushrooms and squashes were central on the menus. I wish I liked mushrooms more. I know some of you would slap me for not ordering the chantarelle tasting menu. I did learn about the joys of pumpkin seed oil, at least. Just a drop on a salad and it transforms a crisp, bright crunch into warm, nutty, toasty joy in your mouth, while maintaining the beauty of a simple salad.
I realized this morning, while musing about the trip, that it must be kind of strange to only speak one language, even one spoken as widely as English. You must feel slightly unmoored and adrift in a sea with too many currents. Even though I don't speak Czech or German, I was able to overhear and understand the great Russian invasion in Prague and Vienna. I also found that I was immediately able to read Czech, while R had a difficult time with the accented and umlauted Latin script (though he had no such issues with at least pronouncing German, while I was struggling with trying to get some of those words past my lips).
There is always something familiar about Europe. Vienna and Prague are wildly different from anything I experienced growing up in so many ways and yet... there is always something that tugs the nostalgia strings.
More later.
I realized this morning, while musing about the trip, that it must be kind of strange to only speak one language, even one spoken as widely as English. You must feel slightly unmoored and adrift in a sea with too many currents. Even though I don't speak Czech or German, I was able to overhear and understand the great Russian invasion in Prague and Vienna. I also found that I was immediately able to read Czech, while R had a difficult time with the accented and umlauted Latin script (though he had no such issues with at least pronouncing German, while I was struggling with trying to get some of those words past my lips).
There is always something familiar about Europe. Vienna and Prague are wildly different from anything I experienced growing up in so many ways and yet... there is always something that tugs the nostalgia strings.
More later.