Food felt like a passport to me when I moved out of my parents' house.
June 11, 2022 4:19 PM Subscribe
Francis Lam chats with Virgie Tovar on Rebel Eaters Club podcast (transcript included). Re: a family banquet in Hong Kong in their childhood:
"I totally remember [my parents] saying at one point, well, Francis really knows how to eat. It was as if it was the equivalent of like, Oh, Francis really like Francis is a real poet, you know? And so I just felt like, Oh, that was like, that was worth something to my parents."
"I grabbed my chopsticks [and] grabbed the cheek out of the fish's head. Which was so appalling because you know that the cheek is the best bite of the fish... and in a highly patriarchal, elder focused society, my grandfather is supposed to get [that]. And the whole table, my parents, were like, Oh my God. What animal are we raising? And my grandfather in all his generosity, just laughed and said, this one really knows how to eat."Lots of awesome episodes of the podcast and journal prompts for self-reflection.
"I totally remember [my parents] saying at one point, well, Francis really knows how to eat. It was as if it was the equivalent of like, Oh, Francis really like Francis is a real poet, you know? And so I just felt like, Oh, that was like, that was worth something to my parents."
I love Virgie. Thanks for posting this.
posted by parmanparman at 1:39 AM on June 12, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by parmanparman at 1:39 AM on June 12, 2022 [1 favorite]
Francis Lam, a few years back, taught some cooking tricks in his column at Salon that I've used ever since.
Two French ways to boost flavor in food: One good, one evil (I teach any kid who likes to cook this trick)
Ginger scallion sauce (Messy and actually a bit dangerous to make, but so good)
posted by Bee'sWing at 4:22 AM on June 12, 2022 [2 favorites]
Two French ways to boost flavor in food: One good, one evil (I teach any kid who likes to cook this trick)
Ginger scallion sauce (Messy and actually a bit dangerous to make, but so good)
posted by Bee'sWing at 4:22 AM on June 12, 2022 [2 favorites]
This is so lovely - what a fun rabbit hole to explore! Some really profound insights about the relationship of food to immigrant experience.
posted by leslies at 7:46 AM on June 12, 2022
posted by leslies at 7:46 AM on June 12, 2022
That humble little teaspoon of vinegar meant that there was something entirely outside the orbit of the life I had known for 18 years. It gave me hope. Thank you, OP! Both of these individuals were new to me and I love love loved reading the transcript. So real, so human, so interesting.
posted by Bella Donna at 7:14 AM on June 13, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by Bella Donna at 7:14 AM on June 13, 2022 [1 favorite]
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posted by Lycaste at 5:15 PM on June 11, 2022