Category: Creative Piece

Tortellini en Brodo

 

In the space of a breath

I think about what you could be

 

I envision a cottage

Underneath the Tuscan sky

Where you were loved

Kneaded with care

As the nonnas brought you to me

How beautifully you had come together

 

I think about the vibrant orange that kissed you

The same eggs that were gathered this morning

Hold everything together

Enrich the dough

 

I think about the harvested grains you took in

How many things have come

From that tireless mill

Sitting in the corner

 

Of families large and small

Who spend every Sunday

Filling the cases with ricotta and braised cuts

 

While I cook alone

 

So much dedication

Perfection

Intensity

Flavor

Strength

Life

Death

In this opportunity

But instead

I purchase Buitoni for a dollar seventy-five

 

I chose to imitate the poem Zucchini by Jennifer Barone from her book, Saporoso. I chose this piece as it traces the history of a simple ingredient, zucchini, sitting on her plate and delves into what makes the process of agricultural truly remarkable. Her poem describes how factors like farming conditions, sunlight, and soil all impact our food systems that we take for granted each day. This makes the piece all the more enlightening when the narrator decides to pan out and appreciate the small details that culminate in the perfect piece of produce.

Through her poem, I learned that Jennifer has a special connection with food derived from her Italian heritage. She lives in a modern and well-off society where it is easy to not take special notice to food, and the beauty of it. It is clear from the first stanza of her poem which reads, “In the space of a breath I think about where you came from,” that Jennifer, like most people, lives a fast-paced life. Her life is not entirely driven by food, yet she still takes small moments like this one to appreciate the beauty of freshly grown produce and the ability it has to transform a dish into something culturally significant.

Taken as a whole, Zucchini is a piece that highlights many aspects of the Slow Food Movement that was mentioned in class. By paying particular attention to the quality of ingredients and by cooking meals from scratch, not only will the end product taste better, but each dish will have a story from the ingredients, making the dish all the more meaningful. I chose to draw on this theme when writing my poem. Through my cultural upbringing, I had little exposure to authenticity and innovation in cooking. Most of the meals that I ate as a child were the basic standards like frozen meals, fast food, and simple dishes that many American children tend to prefer. It wasn’t until relatively recently that I started experimenting with different cuisines and cooking more meals from raw ingredients. However, there is still a side of me that sees ready-made foods and discounts that drive my purchasing decisions.

Therefore, rather than focusing on the Slow Food Movement as is embedded in the cultural DNA of Jennifer in Zucchini, I chose to base my poem on the missed opportunities that I’m so used to seeing in food. The difference between freshly made tortellini and store-bought is so apparent, and I used this example as one of many that I am familiar with. On a recent trip to Florence, I tasted authentic tortellini en brodo and was left in awe. The flavor was outstanding, and it was so easy to see why this dish has such an important culinary heritage. Unfortunately, homemade delicious pasta dishes like this were never part of my cultural DNA, so I aimed to make that clear by ending the poem with, “I purchase Buitoni for a dollar seventy-five.”

 

(7/31/19)

Warm Spaghetti Pasta with Basil Leaves

Cherry red are the tangy tomatoes,

dark green are the rich basil leaves,

bright yellow are the sour lemons,

we pluck them from the garden below.

Mamma Agata gently takes the handmade thinly sliced noodles,

she carefully boils them in hot water.

Even portions for all to indulge,

plates rest on the long wooden table,

looking out to the marvelous blue coast.

Eyes closed, every sensation enhanced.

The chewy, glistening deliciousness,

like feeling of goosebumps on my tongue.

Seeing the vibrant faces of the other families surrounding,

and the familiar, warm face of my Noni,

smiles stretch as far as the blue coast.

Holding on to this rich feeling,

to share at home with friends and family, alike.

Five thousand miles away from my place of comfort,

and yet here I sit, with not a worry in my mind.

 

(A picture of the dish)

(The blue Amalfi coast with Mamma Agata’s garden below)

(My father, Noni and I next to Mamma Agata’s daughter)

1. What piece did you choose to imitate?

The poem that I chose to imitate was “Cold Noodle Soup with Sophora Leaves” written by Du Fu. 

 

2. Why did you choose this piece?

Du Fu’s “Cold Noodle Soup with Sophora Leaves” stood out to me while reading our weekly assignments.  Even though this poem was written in the 700s, the style and language Du Fu employs remains relatable to people of all cultures, today.  Du Fu richly describes and tells the noodle story which allows the reader to visualize the story, dish, and even sense the taste of the dish, as if they were there with Du Fu experiencing this for themselves.  This rich, descriptive style appeals to me, so I decided to imitate it with a noodle dish from my Italian cultural background and experience. 

 

3. What did you learn about the culture of the original author through imitating his or her style?

In our recent class discussion Dr. Li explained how presentation and harmonizing flavors are important in Chinese cuisine, treating cuisine as an artform.  Du Fu’s poem is a perfect example of this, balanced and harmonized.  Though I have not tried this cold noodle dish, the way that Du Fu describes the dish allows me to imagine this flavorful, artistic cuisine.  Further, throughout all of our readings and class discussions, we have learned about the important role food plays in connecting people together.  In his poem, Du Fu shares how people of all social status (commoners, upper class and royalty) can enjoy the same noodle dish.  My speculation is that the commoners are the people he is eating with, the upper class are in the Brocade Lodge and at the end he mentions the royalty. In a way, he is using the noodle to connect people together. 

 

4. What did you learn about your own culture while writing?

While reading Du Fu’s poem, it reminded me of the time I traveled to Italy with my Noni and father.  It allowed me to reminisce about the time we visited Mamma Agata’s kitchen and cooking class where we cooked an authentic Italian noodle dish.  One thing I learned about my own culture is that Italian cooking is an art as well.  The way Mamma Agata made the dish was like watching an artist paint.  Even though the kitchen was left as a mess after the meal was made, the dish looked amazing and our hungry eyes needed to feast on the masterpiece in front of us.  Another revelation is that family and gathering people together over food is a huge part of our Italian culture.  Mamma Agata brought strangers together in a room to eat and chat the day away while feasting and bonding over delicious, authentic Italian food.

 

5. Is there cultural DNA embedded in the piece you read and in your piece? How does this DNA manifest in the texts?

In his poem, Du Fu includes three specific lines centered around sharing this dish with other people from all walks of life.  The three quotes are “I urge others, offering them like pearls.” ; “galloping off to serve this in the Brocade Lodge” ; “the ruler is enjoying the cool.”  Du Fu imbeds cultural DNA by using these lines to connect people of all classes together via this noodle dish, which is a core principle of Chinese cuisine culture.  Similarly, I include Italian cultural DNA in my piece specifically the Italian way of using food to connect with people and show love.  Towards the end of my poem, I explain the love and connection I felt sitting around Mamma Agata’s table.  She wanted to share her dish with everyone around her and spread her love of food to us, and for us to share that love with other people outside of her kitchen.

The Summons of the Soul

Oh Soul, come back! Why you go far away?

All your household has come to do you honor; all kinds of good noodles are ready:

Egg noodles (鸡蛋面), Dried Straight noodles（挂面）, pulled noodles （拉面）, mixed all with sliced noodles （刀削面） ,

Bitter, salty, sour, hot and sweet: there are noodles of all flavors.

Red soy sauce flavored pork chop cooked tender and succulent （红烧大排）,

Sweet and sour blended in the ribs topping (糖醋小排),

Stewed intestine （大肠）and fried frog legs （牛蛙）, served with spicy sauce;

Eel deep fried covered in salty sauces, boiled shrimp （虾仁爆鳝）, ladle the boiling oil with green onions;

Braised chicken, seethed pork livers (猪肝), high-seasoned, but not to spoil the taste;

Peanut butter and vinegar with a hint of salt,

Jade like wine, honey-flavored, filled the winged cups.

Ice-cooled soy-milk, strained of impurities, clear wine, cool and refreshing;

Here are laid out the patterned ladles, and here is sparkling wine!

 

The poem that I am imitating is the piece called “The Summons of the Soul” Chu Ci, by Qu Yuan. Qu Yuan is a famous Chinese poet known for his love and patriotism. I have learned his most famous piece, “Li Sao”. In addition, our group project did some research on Qu Yuan. I was interested in exploring why he particularly included food descriptions in this section of his “summons”.

“The Summons of the Soul” depicts various dangers surrounding the wandering soul. To encourage its obedient return, Qu Yuan provided detailed descriptions of magnificent sensual pleasures which would be available as a reward to such behavior (from Hawkes, David, translator and introduction (2011 [1985]). Qu Yuan et al., The Songs of the South: An Ancient Chinese Anthology of Poems by Qu Yuan and Other Poets). As “summon” emphasizes how food is enough to “summon” one’s soul, it reflects the famous saying of “Bread is the stall of life.” （“民以食为天”）

After imitating this piece, I discovered some similarities and differences of the Chinese cuisine between the previous dynasty and the modern days. Chinese people still eat most of the food nowadays. Especially for the desert mentioned, I believe the “Fried honey-cakes of rice flour and malt sugar sweetmeats” is the Sugar Cake that I love. (炸年糕/炸糖糕) However, I am curious about the soup of Wu, in which the poet describes as having a sour and bitter blended flavor.  I think it is the Sour and Spicy soup nowadays. (酸辣汤).

Further, while writing in Qu Yuan style, I noticed all these imperative sentences he used. The “summons” style is mainly made up “callings”. This style provokes feelings of anxiety and desperation, while triggering hunger. Such emotion resonates with readers deeply.

I dedicated my piece to noodles, focusing specifically on describing popular Shanghainese noodle dishes. Each sentence of mine matches the style of the original piece. Moreover, each noodle dish is similar to the descriptions by Qu Yuan, including the flavors, the ingredients, and the cooking methods of the noodle toppings. For example, the original piece wrote “Stewed turtle and roast kid, served up with yam sauce,”.  In response, I wrote “Stewed intestine （大肠）and fried frog legs （牛蛙）, served with spicy sauce;”. It was easy to find noodle toppings from modern days that would be similar to the meat dishes mentioned by Qu Yuan. Hence, I was reminded of how the culture in Chinese cuisine can be timeless.

As the emotional relationship between Qu Yuan and food echoes mine, I begin to comprehend how food is essential to Chinese culture. Food is always huge part of any festivals, and even the daily conversations involves food. For instance, most Northern Chinese people greet each other by saying “Have you eaten?”. People from my home are always being very “picky” about “meals never make do”. （”不能将就”）. As I visualize, imagine, and resonate with the poet’s depictions and emotion, I finally understand that power of cultural connection brought by food. It is indeed enough to “summons” the soul.