Text 18780, 80 rader
Skriven 2011-12-07 15:28:00 av MICHAEL LOO (1:123/140)
     Kommentar till en text av NANCY BACKUS
Ärende: mental 323
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 ML> for example hearing a melody makes me think of and even
 ML> re-experience tasting a totally unassociated dish. Nuts much?

It's not like what Proust reported, because his stimulus and
response were connected - he ate madeleines at tea, and that
brought forth memories of madeleines from days gone by, which
caused associated memories, and these grew and coalesced until
he had several thick volumes of sometimes very boring text.

In my case, it's almost as though my memory of the Mozart 40th
symphony is stored next to that of (for example) orange Julius,
and pulling the one recollection from the shelf knocks the next
one off, so I get two nostalgias for the price of one.

 NB> Probably not nuts.  Just different brain connections... there's lots
 NB> the brain is capable of that we rarely if ever utilize...  :)

Good, bad, and indifferent. In this case I sort of hope the
phenomenon is indifferent.

 NB> Interestingly, I enjoy
 NB> pina coladas, even though neither pineapple or coconut are my favorite
 NB> flavors... :)   Haven't had any for ages, though.

Match made in heaven: the richness of the coconut cuts the acid of
the pineapple, and the tartness cuts the richness, and everything
is right with the world.

==

 ML> So his thinking is disordered enough that it would force him to
 ML> eat bad food to make a point? Makes some sense. It's a horrible
 NB> Wouldn't be surprised.

We do do things in a convoluted way, in this family.

 ML> way to live, and I can't get mad mad mad at him, because I do
 ML> see what pain his disease puts him in. I do get quite cross with
 ML> him, though. And we were talking about self-infantilizing ...
 ML> perhaps the best thing for me to do would be to make him choose
 ML> where we go to eat every time.
 NB> Might be the most frustrating, too...  I suspect that it may not be
 NB> something that can be trained out of him.  As you say, his disease is
 NB> a factor here...  Sad that you have to take the brunt, though...

And it's a fine line between adaptation and maladaptation. He's
well over that line, though.

Madeleines
cat: Proustian, tea, dessert
yield: 20

2 lg eggs
2/3 c sugar
1 ts vanilla extract
1/2 ts grated lemon peel
1 pn salt
1 c all purpose flour
5 oz unsalted butter, melted, cooled slightly
Powdered sugar

Oven at 375F. Generously butter and flour pan for large
madeleines (about 3 x 1 1/4"). Using electric mixer,
beat eggs and sugar in large bowl just to blend. Beat
in vanilla, lemon peel, and salt. Add flour; beat just
until blended. Gradually add cooled melted butter in
steady stream, beating just until blended.

Spoon 1 Tb batter into each indentation in pan. Bake
until puffed and brown, about 16 min. Cool 5 min. Gently
remove from pan. Repeat process, buttering and flouring
pan before each batch. (Can be made 1 day ahead.)

Dust cookies with powdered sugar.

Bon Appetit, 1/2000

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