LJ Idol Week 6: "Food Memory"

[dblicher]

A white awning spread over the open-air dining room of a restaurant I'd heard called “the pizza place.” Brigade members had already covered a table with drink cans and plates of something fried. The waiter, in a stained white apron, calmly pulled up another table and more chairs for Peter and me. It seemed the kind of place one could stay all day

Comments

[muchtooarrogant]

A fascinating story. Did you ever find out what the meat actually was?

Dan

[dblicher]

It was indeed pork. :-)

[lawchicky]

That pizza sounds delicious to me. I've always thought it would be really difficult for me to keep kosher. Being Italian, we mix meat and dairy all the time!

[dblicher]

I often say that Jewish and Italian are the same thing except for the food thing. :-) I dated a lot of Italians before marrying Peter!

[ellakite]

I was raised Catholic, but I've always tried to be aware of the dietary restrictions of my friends and co-workers. Also, when I was active in the Boy Scouts I used to attend a summer camp which kept a kosher dining hall. It was always much, *MUCH* better food than the nearby camps which regularly served trafe.

I was tempted to crack a joke, but I won't. I respect a person who is dedicated to their beliefs. Especially when it comes to food.

Thanks for sharing this.

[dblicher]

I'm glad you got to eat good food at camp! I wish all the dining halls had served you guys well. Thanks for reading. Feel free to tell me the joke! (I make lots of Jewish jokes.)

[whipchick]

This is really neat - I've had a couple of times when I've had to overrule my own beliefs for the sake of either bonding or not making a scene, and I've discovered the only place where I can't bend is that I won't say someone's writing is good when it's not :)

Also, I think this is your best piece yet, and what makes it for me is that you go beyond culture shock and into a deeper consideration of values that makes me think about my own values, while also investing me in the protagonist's moment of personal and emotional risk. I'm rooting for her to make the right choice...and I feel like she could sell me on either decision being the right choice, because she's so honest and vulnerable here. Definitely the moment of biggest risk - even bigger than deciding to go to the Amazon in the first place.

I read bits of this out to my guy, too :)

[cloworora]

Thus, the definition of love: sucking up one for the team, avoiding questions and not forcing your husband into an impossible situation. Interesting take on the topic; it's well-written, too.

[dblicher]

Thank you.

[michikatinski]

I work at a synagogue and, though I'm not Jewish, have to be very careful not to trek treif food into the place. It has rendered me very conscious of the company I keep and how I appear when I make my own restrictive or liberal food choices.

Thanks for writing about this. :)

[dblicher]

You're welcome. My gosh, that must be difficult (about bringing food to your workplace). Those of who keep kosher don't always have the same standard, so it's a challenge for us, too.