My apologies for delays in my postings. I have been distracted by other, more personal projects that have somewhat expanded my horizons. Funny how a look into the distant past can make the future more clear.
Yesterday, the Wife and I attended a viewing of the much anticipated and acclaimed ‘Julie and Julia’. I will not bore you with a review of the movie or an in-depth analysis. There are much brighter minds than mine to refer to on such matters. Was it good? Yes. It was entertaining, funny, the actors were great, etc. But, for me it added a revelation. Well, maybe a ‘realization’ is more accurate.
Recently, I have restarted a project into genealogy. I started this project about 15 years ago, mostly for personal reasons. I was consumed by the questions that every person has when embarking on such a journey. Where did I come from? Who is my family? Most importantly, “What are my influences?”. Oh, and “Why the hell am I doing this?”.
I also stalled the project 15 years ago. Back then, it was all about micro-fiche, libraries and time I did not have. My career was just starting, I was recently married and I had little time (or attention for that matter) to spend hours in libraries or pouring over tedious books and lists looking for the right name to connect to my insignificant existence. Since that time, I have experienced quite a bit, traveled and expanded (insert waistline joke here)my perspective. I will not say I have ‘grown’, but I have certainly enhanced my views on food and culture.
I have now re-entered the genealogical endeavor for my son (and admittedly myself). With the advent of the internet, global archives and awesome software, the mission has become amazingly easier than what it once was. Although, I must admit that it was a Xeroxed copy of a document from 15 years ago, tied with information online, that gave me a keystone to finding my own family history. My son is too young to understand the exercise at this point, but I hope to be able to provide him with a comprehensive explanation of his influences as well as an introduction to his larger family some day.
So, WTF does this have to do with Julie and Julia? Well, it wasn’t until I saw the movie that things clicked for me.
Both Julie and Julia found something that they loved. They found something that inspired them, something that distracted them, and something that led them to grow with a clearer perspective. For Julia, that was food. For Julie it was writing. I read that Julia once said of Julie “She’s not serious about food.” or something to that effect. I would agree. She is a writer, but it was Julia that allowed her to find her voice.
Recently I have been afforded the same opportunity. Many things that I am (and there are quite a few, ‘jackass’ not being least among them), I Am because of my family. You gotta blame someone. Sorry Dad.
The most important thing to me in this world is family. The second most important thing is food. I mean, you gotta eat right? Might as well be good.
The connection I found this weekend is that I have found an inspiration in both my family and my food and not realized it. As for the last bit, distraction, I am sure that both my Wife and boss will confirm that all this has become distracting.
In my genealogical investigations, I have found that my family comes from the farm. For over 500 years my family have been farmers. Prior to coming to the US in the mid-1800’s, they have occupied the same area of Germany for centuries. I still have close cousins that are farmers here in the US. Decendants of my ancestors still infest the hills of the Schwarzwald, farming away like ants. My father grew up on a farm in Nebraska. There is no fame or fortune in my lineage, nothing of glaring note, just plain hard working people.
Which brings me to my point. We are all products of where we are from, where we have been and, if we are lucky, our future is directed from the wisdom gained by those experiences. Julie created her blog based on this. From this perspective (realized or not) Julia became a chef and created her career, not to mention her influence on American culinary exploits. It is the gestalt of all these things that guide our lives, our next meal and what we will do tomorrow, as it did theirs.
So what will be my future? Nothing elaborate, just a bit introspective.
- Think Local. Although I have touted in the past how important it is to support local growers, farmers, ranchers, producers and the like, I need to personally re-emphasize it. After all, my family are farmers. Not necessarily local, but farmers none the less.
- Use my experience. Yeah, I love German food. But I have a wealth of experience with other types of cuisine to draw from and I plan to experiment from all of them. Blend them and make them universal whenever possible.
- Live for the future. My sons genetic blend is much more diverse than mine. He is a mutt of untold proportions. I plan to expose him to every one of those experiences, culinarily and culturally, even if we have to roll him out the door at the end of the dinner. I also plan to enjoy it with him, both in the kitchen and out. In Austin, in Texas and everywhere else that may take us. Afterall, he is “the best cooker”. (His words, not mine.)
Oh, and I’ve realized I can still read and speak German. Awesome.
Um, Dad . . . . Straße = Street. (Hehe, irritates the crap out of him to this day.)
