Canned-foods Quote by Julia Glass
““She pulls from a shelf certain rare spices and sugars that her successor is unlikely to use. Insulating the jars with softbound books and sheafs of cooking notes, she packs them in a carton that came to this kitchen holding boxes of Italian pasta. She examines the fanciful designs on a container of sugar imported from Turkey, a favorite finish for the surface of cookies: bearclaws, butter wafers. The large, faceted granules glitter like bluish rhinestones; children always choose those cookies first. She wonders if she will be able to get this sugar anymore, if borders will tighten so austerely that she will lose some of her most precious, treasured ingredients: the best dried lavender and mascarpone, pomegranate molasses. But in the scheme of things, does it matter? She comes upon her collection of vinegars, which she uses to brighten the character of certain cakes, to hold the line between sweet and cloying. She takes down a spicy vinegar she bought at a nearby farm; inside the bottle, purple peppers, like sleeping bats, hang from the surface of the liquid. Greenie used it in a dark chocolate ice cream and molasses pie.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The History of Love by Julia Glass, 2008
A chef worries about losing exotic ingredients due to geopolitical changes, questioning the importance of such luxuries in life.
In simple terms: She fears losing rare spices and wonders if it truly matters.
Focus on flavor, not scarcity.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- restaurant kitchen
- family cooking
- import restrictions
- personal reflection
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you adapt when beloved resources become scarce?
- What truly defines the essence of a dish?
Even without rare ingredients, creativity can thrive.