Food, Smells and Memory

Memory is one of my favorite subjects. How it works, how it can fool you, how it can be repressed, etc. One thing that has always fascinated me is how smells can trigger memories in people. In tenth grade, I went to the Sweetheart Dance with a boy named Bill, and I wore a rose scented Teen Spirit deodorant (seriously). For months after the deodorant was gone (and Bill as well), I kept the stick in my dresser so that once in a while I could sniff it and be completely transported back to that magical night. Wow. I can't believe I just admitted how unbelievably sentimental and dorky I am.

Tonight I decided to make one of my favorite recipes, quinoa and black beans. I haven't made it for quite a while. I made it once when my friend (whose name begins with "C") came over to visit. While I was dumping in the rest of my curry powder, the smell of it, along with the onions and garlic cooking, made it suddenly feel like she was standing right there in my kitchen.

While it was simmering, I folded some laundry. After getting almost done, I heard a sizzling sound that just doesn't go with quinoa and black beans. Somehow I had simmered too long, and burned the quinoa right to the pan. Frustrated and angry, I dumped it in the garbage and made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I had used up all of my supper-making energy (and curry powder) and it was over.

Definitely a night for making smoothies, though!