Friday, February 26, 2010

Fried, poached or scrambled eggs? (Charis cooks)

Is it true that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach? Folks in the 19th-century certainly thought so, with excerpts such as these:


Comic Arithmetic
By Alfred Henry Forrester (London: Richard Bentley) 1844 (Pg. 55)
"On the other hand, we cure villany by increased rations of beef, bread, beer, and potatoes, in accordance with the maxim, that the nearest way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.”



A Critical Examination of Dr. MacCulloch’s Work on the Highlands and Western Isles of Scotland
By James Browne (Edinburgh: Daniel Lizars)1825 (Pg. 8:)
He was necessitated to use the eyes of others, because he was blind himself; and as the road to his heart happened to lie through his stomach, which it was not always practicable, in the Highlands especially, to appease, nobody was unreasonable enough to expect that he would discover any vestiges of high and chivalrous (Pg. 9—ed.) feeling lingering among a people who were nearly utter strangers to roast-beef and plum-pudding. 



and my favourite;


23 November 1838, Richmond (VA) Enquirer, pg. 1:
Our national characteristic—that the way to an Englishman’s heart is through his stomach—you must not, however, imagine is becoming extinct; it only sleepeth. 



(credit to The Big Apple, posted by Barry Popik)


Far be it for me to imagine it to be extinct, if Samuel's previous two posts are anything to go by. One of the things we learnt in our pre-marital counselling (hereinafter to be referred to as PMC) was the expectations we had of each other after marriage. To my surprise (but not horror, mind you), the expectations of me goes beyond the art of being a pretty,shy little wifey AND shopping for all of us (which I have, very responsibly, agreed to). I now have to learn to feed my man. And feed him I shall! 


Our conversation will probably go like this:


Me  : Samuel, do you want fried eggs or poached eggs today?
Sam: What's poached eggs?
Me  : Err... how about scrambled eggs?
Sam: For dinner?
Me  : Err... Food by Phone?


Thank God for food delivery in Bangkok. 



The author is in no way alluding to the fact that she does not know the difference between fried and poached eggs, nor to the idea that she does not know how to cook. The above scenario is purely fictional and will not, under any circumstances, happen in reality. Samuel, really! :D

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