BLACK CAKE, by Charmaine Wilkerson (Michael Joseph, $37)
In times of great migrations from oppressed homelands, refugees are often forced to flee with only what they can carry on their backs. What are never left behind, however, are the sensual evocations of ancestral comforts: native melodies, family anecdotes, memorised landscapes, regional dialects and the aroma of beloved meals cooked using improvised recipes passed down through generations. Like Proust’s madeleines, these memories can recreate lost universes and ease the pain of forced separations.
Years ago, while researching women’s survival under Nazi occupation, I discovered the book In Memory’s Kitchen, a reproduction of a catalogue of recipes for beloved Czech dishes written by starving women during their incarceration in the ghetto/concentration camp of Terezín. The act of writing down these ingredients and their preparation sustained these women. Food was a physical sustenance but also an emotional one.
Denne historien er fra March 26 - April 1, 2022-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.
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Denne historien er fra March 26 - April 1, 2022-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.
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First-world problem
Harrowing tales of migrants attempting to enter the US highlight the political failure to fully tackle the problem.
Applying intelligence to AI
I call it the 'Terminator Effect', based on the premise that thinking machines took over the world.
Nazism rears its head
Smirky Höcke, with his penchant for waving with a suspiciously straight elbow and an open palm, won't get to be boss of either state.
Staying ahead of the game
Will the brave new world of bipartisanship that seems to be on offer with an Infrastructure Commission come to fruition?
Grasping the nettle
Broccoli is horrible. It smells, when being cooked, like cat pee.
Hangry? Eat breakfast
People who don't break their fast first thing in the morning report the least life satisfaction.
Chemical reaction
Nitrates in processed meats are well known to cause harm, but consumed from plant sources, their effect is quite different.
Me and my guitar
Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp sticks to the familiar for her Dunedin concerts.
Time is on my side
Age does not weary some of our much-loved musicians but what keeps them on the road?
The kids are not alright
Nuanced account details how China's blessed generation has been replaced by one consumed by fear and hopelessness.
