Cynthia D. Bertelsen's Blog, page 13

A Dearth of Pleasure: The Curse of Modern Food Writing

Thankfully, the Millennium Bridge across the River Thames didn’t sway under my feet that day, giving lie to its other name, the Wobbly Bridge. But the chilling wind whipped at everything not tied down, painting a disagreeable redness on my nose and a deep-seated hunger in my belly. The aroma of roasting sugary peanuts floated … Continue reading "A Dearth of Pleasure: The Curse of Modern Food Writing"

Afghanistan … Where the Enchanted Snows Fall

Note: I first wrote this post in 2008, when the U.S. had been at war in Afghanistan for seven years. Now it is 2021, thirteen years have passed, and we are finally leaving Afghanistan. But the price paid by all for war is not over. And never will be. The fall of Kabul on August … Continue reading "Afghanistan … Where the Enchanted Snows Fall"

Discovering Cookbooks, a Memory

Once you have mastered a technique, you barely have to look at a recipe again.  ~ Julia Child Everybody says it happens, yes. Love at first sight. It happens. I must concur―it was true, at least for me, when it came to cookbooks. The summer I turned fourteen, I fell hopelessly in love with the … Continue reading "Discovering Cookbooks, a Memory"

Tomatoes in the Garden

There is nothing better than picking up sun-warmed tomatoes and smelling them, feeling them and scrutinizing their shiny skins for imperfections, dreaming of ways to serve them. ~ José Andrés My nose burned a little, a sign of more freckles popping out later, but I didn’t care. My haunches rested right where I wanted them … Continue reading "Tomatoes in the Garden"

Eid Al-Adha: The Feast of Sacrifice

Eid Al-Adha takes place on Monday, July 19, 2021. The past is buried deep within the ground in Rabat, although the ancient walls in the old city are still standing, painted in electrifying variations of royal blue that make the winding roads look like streamlets or shallow ocean water. ~ Raquel Cepeda Even without Islam, … Continue reading "Eid Al-Adha: The Feast of Sacrifice"

“Gingerbread” Boys

We’re like the wicked witch. We promise gingerbread, then eat the little brats alive. ~ Orson Scott Card It didn’t take me long to realize that no handed-down family traditions existed in my family’s kitchen. None. It was as if everything foodwise emerged sui generis from Hydra’s head. And nowhere did that dearth of tradition … Continue reading "“Gingerbread” Boys"

The Magic of Ferdinand’s Bar

You can have strong emotional reactions when you eat a food that arouses those deep unconscious memories. ~ Susan Krauss Whitbourne Even if I stood on my tiptoes, I still couldn’t see over the counter at Ferdinand’s Bar. But I could smell the waffled sugar cones cooking in the waffle irons and hear the WSC … Continue reading "The Magic of Ferdinand’s Bar"

Crab Louie

The origin of the dressing is disputed. The Olympic Club in Seattle, The Davenport Hotel in Spokane, Washington, Solari’s Restaurant, Bergez-Frank’s Old Poodle Dog Restaurant and the St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco, and the Bohemian in Portland all claim to be the home of the dressing, with the invention in either the 1900s or … Continue reading "Crab Louie"

More than Pineapples: Market Day in Haiti

Because in Haiti, so many people are poor, it’s nothing to be ashamed of. And there’s always a way to degaje, to get by, even when you have nothing. ~ Laura Rose Wagner I loved shopping for food in open-air markets in Haiti. Poking ripe red tomatoes, prodding tiny maliciously hot chile peppers, breaking off hunks … Continue reading "More than Pineapples: Market Day in Haiti"

Three Stones and a Soup: Culinary Adventures in Paraguay

The kitchen, humble or rich, was a prime target of this decorous insistence upon the duties of a good woman. ~ M. F. K. Fisher Dust, red as a circus clown’s rouged cheeks, billowed like smoke behind the beige Peugeot truck as its wheels dodged wide potholes and deep ruts. In southern Paraguay’s dry season, … Continue reading "Three Stones and a Soup: Culinary Adventures in Paraguay"