LINES OF THE DAY

". . . But the past does not exist independently from the present. Indeed, the past is only past because there is a present, just as I can point to something over there only because I am here. But nothing is inherently over there or here. In that sense, the past has no content. The past -- or more accurately, pastness -- is a position. Thus, in no way can we identify the past as past." p. 15

". . . But we may want to keep in mind that deeds and words are not as distinguishable as often we presume. History does not belong only to its narrators, professional or amateur. While some of us debate what history is or was, others take it into their own hands." p. 153

Silencing the Past: Power and the Production of History (1995) by Michel-Rolph Trouillot

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Eating

I managed to make some extra special chicken stock.

Next, ginger dumpling soup with dumplings from Chinatown (the ginger too, for that matter, and the shitakes and the cilantro and the shaved carrots and the sesame chili oil).

The ginger turned out perfect -- young and tender and aromatic, perfect for mincing. The whole house was fragrant with ginger running through the freshly created stock that burbled for a few hours previously.

This week is dinner at home only tonight, Tuesday and Wednesday. My B-Day tomorrow (Grant's Tomb and the Met's Egyptian Galleries, as we're still deep in Ancient Egypt's arrow and cyclical time schemes, and with tomorrow a holiday, the Met will be open tomorrow. I'll finally get to take photos of Grant's Tomb, since Vaquero finally replaced the camera he lost this previous autumn). Thursday is the Frederick Douglas Award dinner for best black history of 2007. I thought we had to go to Yale for that, but it's here, which is great. Friday is dinner at a friend's where a writer who is working on a history of the downtown music scene of yore wants to interview some of us who were there.. Saturday is a another friend's book party. So some ginger dumpling soup on hand will be a good idea.

We got a Leicester cheese yesterday at Gourmet Garage that is so rich it's frightening. It isn't a healthy thing at all. Probably we should be drinking port with it. It's dessert really, not cheese!

No comments: