According to Don Mitchell, one way of defining culture pertains to a way of life of a people, including “language, dress, food habits, music, housing styles, religion, family structures, and values.” As such, exploring a country’s language and food habits offers one way of exploring the values of a particular place in time, or what Doreen Massey calls the boundaries and naming of a particular space-time. Working and studying far away from my country of birth has enabled me to experience various time-spaces. Interestingly, moments where I felt the most homesick were usually triggered by my inability to properly communicate in a foreign language, or because I missed home cooking. To me this suggests the important role played by language and food in constituting a particular space-time. Working on this collaborative project gave me the opportunity to return to my roots and to share some European recipes. I have included a dessert recipe from France, my country of origin, as well as a soup recipe from Portugal, a country where I spent summer vacations on a yearly basis.
In contrast to the United States of America, milk has not come to represent “nature’s perfect food” for France, as related in E. Melanie DuPuis book by the same title. While milk drinking is not part of daily social practices in France, yogurt and cheese consumption are highly rated and enjoyed. Some French recipes do contain milk, such as the dessert detailed below. Cooking home meals tends to be part of social practices in France, even in today’s busy and fast-paced environment. Many French individuals and families enjoy cooking, sharing a meal and good conversation with family and friends, as a means of bonding and celebrating life.
“Cuisiner suppose une tete legere, un esprit genereux et un coeur large”
(Paul Gauguin)
The recipe presented below is called “Clafoutis aux Cerises.” Its origin is heavily contested between natives of the Limousin and those of the Gapeau Valley. Both of these regions are part of Provence, which is constituted by multiple sunny regions, situated in the southeastern corner of France. The joy of cooking, and what can be described as the cuisine of the sun, remain characteristics of Provence. I translated this recipe from French and converted the metrics.
Clafoutis aux Cerises or Cherry Pudding
Serves 6
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 40 minutes
1 ½ pounds black cherries
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
½ cup sugar
1/3 cup butter
5/8 cup flour
1 cup milk
Vanilla sugar
Wash the cherries and remove the stems. The pits are not removed because they add a nice nutty flavor. Place the cherries in a buttered (you can also use Canola oil cooking spray) baking dish. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
Mix 2 eggs, 1 egg yolk and the sugar in a bowl. Add the butter, flour, milk, and mix into a smooth batter. Pour the batter over the cherries and bake approximately 40 minutes. Before serving, sprinkle with vanilla sugar.
Voila!
Portugal is a sunny, colorful country located on the southwestern corner of Iberia, near Spain. Its people and cuisine are very different from neighboring Spain, partly because Portugal remained isolated for centuries from the rest of Europe. During the 15th century, Portugal launched Europe’s Age of Discovery. The Portuguese charted the west coast of Africa, rounded the Cape of Good Hope, discovered Brazil, the Azores and Madeira. These discoveries brought precious spices, tea, rice, coffee, beans, pineapples, tomatoes and potatoes to Portugal. It is precisely the creative combination and use of New and Old World ingredients that distinguishes Portuguese cooking from the Spanish, and that gives it a deliciously homey taste.
Here is a recipe for a soup that is quite popular in Portugal.
Sopa de Feijao Verde com Hortela or Green Bean Soup with Mint
Serves 6
Preparation Time: 25 minutes
Cooking Time: 50 minutes
2 medium yellow onions, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 large garlic clove, peeled and minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium potatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped
4 cups chicken broth
1 pound tender young green beans, washed, tipped, and cut
1¼ cups water
Salt
Black Pepper
2 tablespoons chopped mint
In a large saucepan, sauté the onions and garlic in the oil for about 5 minutes, add the potatoes and cook, stirring for approximately 3 minutes. Pour in the broth and simmer for 40 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Meanwhile cook the beans in water with salt over moderate heat for 25 minutes until very tender. Drain the beans while conserving their cooking water. Add the cooking water (from the beans) to the onion/garlic/potatoes saucepan and puree the mixture with an electric blender.
Add the green beans and bring to serving temperature. Before serving, add mint as well as salt and pepper according to taste.
A vossa saude!
Another way of exploring the concept of culture relates to the way in which we use language. For Stuart Hall, language is the privileged medium used to make sense of things, which suggests the key role played by language in the production and circulation of meaning. Cultural meanings have real practical effects and consequences, particularly on the process of representation. This leads me to the following question: how do we represent to others our thoughts, ideas, and feelings when we have to communicate in a foreign language? As meaning is constructed through dialogue between individuals speaking a foreign language, what is shared? What is left out?
As an individual communicating in a second language, I constantly experience the limitations of adequately conveying my ideas, thoughts, and feelings. Working on my capstone project also enabled me to witness the struggle faced by my interviewees, for whom Pashto was their first language, as they tried to express certain concepts and ideas in English. Again, what might have been left out, misunderstood, misinterpreted as I collected my data?
As a cultural worker, I have become more conscious of my responsibility in the representation of a particular constituency. The language used, and the way in which I select to represent my interviewees have effects on the type of knowledge produced, and can ultimately result in real-life consequences. Regardless of the language barrier, the production of meaning remains an eternal process of translation and negotiation.
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