Below are examples extracted from Edna Staebler's Food That Really Schmecks: Mennonite Country Cooking as Prepared by My
Mennonite Friend Bevvy Martin, My Mother and Other Fine Cooks (2006). In this post, I want to explore the language used in the recipes for cake and the intrinsic link to memory and family that can be found within this.
In
this example, it appears clear that Staebler links back to a memory through the link to food. This can be seen within cookbooks and it
appears clear that it is comes from a place of warmth. When considering the effect on the reader it arguably creates
a comfortable environment which we can relate to and more importantly feel safe and at home in, a
trait I would argue is only found within home bakes and cannot be replicated in cafes. The name of the cake is interesting, it is called “Mother’s Magic”. By referring to it as her "Mothers" implies that she has made it distinctly different, perhaps she has changed quantities of ingredients but it could also be a link back to a name she gave the recipe in childhood. Also, the idea that it is ‘magic’ is both linked to the childlike memory and also makes it appear special and somehow unique in the reader's mind. The idea that her mother
was “mortified” is extremely interesting because it is both embarrassing that her child should refuse on the basis
that it is not hers, although it also appears to be an inadvertent compliment
to the mother. But more importantly, it is humorous that she likes it to “go down in the middle like taffy” because according to
BBC goodfood when referring to a similar recipe, it states: “Resist taking a peek beforehand; the cake will sink if the oven temperature drops too quickly before it's cooked through.” Clearly then, this is a mistake her mother makes and it is not supposed to have this trait, revealing that her mother is not really the best cook, and creating her embarrassment. But the childlike perspective on this is that she appears to enjoy the cake more when it is undercooked and perhaps this is not because it tastes distinctly better, but that perhaps by her mother making it, it creates a 'magic' that cannot be recreated by anyone else.
This recipe is equally charming in
its approach, the conversational tone that the reader experiences here allows us into the home of the baker and could reflect the mothering role that
the cookbook gives us. I also really like the variations that are given for the recipe, for example: "Mother's aunt's directions say the cake should be baked for 3 hours, but mother doesn't think it takes that long". This is obviously humorous because as the recipe above proves, the mother does not always bake cakes to completion. But it is also interesting because it demonstrates a changing of the recipe through time and the variations that each person makes over generations. By noting these changes, I think Staebler effectively preserves the person she knew in the pages of the cookbook. The use of the first person narrative also allows us to be
taken into this world and allows some freedom: “you can put in more fruit” but
also restrictions: “but not less than 1 cup”. By doing this, it could be argued to demonstrate a real mother-child relationship. By allowing some
flexibility she allows an exploration into the
kitchen rather than regimented quotidian baking.
In this way, this cookbook not only recites a recipe but in some way it encapsulates a life within the kitchen and Edna captures her experiences and memories of her mother.
It's hilarious that she liked that her mother's cake sunk down like "taffy" while her mother was, simultaneously, horrified by it. Emma's blog talks about this a bit, too, in that she addresses how it is sometimes less about the food itself, but more about the nurturance that one receives from the act of having a meal cooked for them. I can certainly relate to this, as my father always argues that my mother's lasagna is far too "soupy," but I unwaveringly would argue it to be the best I've ever had. Reading this made me want to try out the recipe and see if mine, too, would turn out "taffy"-like, as the author preferred it.
ReplyDeleteI like the way you have linked food to childhood memories as this is something we as readers are able to relate to. The concept of the idea is also interesting the idea that there are certain foods which can only be made at home.
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