Classic: We use the term to categorise motor vehicles, music and movies. Often the discussion of so-called, “classics,” can bring into question what sociologists call “cultural capital.” Just the sound of this term often makes me feel a little sweaty and uncomfortable – and it’s not because I’m sitting alone in a café on Valentine’s Day! Apparently, those who lack in “cultural capital” have missed out on certain cultural experiences (in language, the arts, “high” culture, travel – the classics!) and make them unable to use this capital as a form of currency in social settings, thus leaving them feeling inferior – culturally.
I have often felt I have cultural liability rather than capital because of my farmer’s daughter, small country town, public school upbringing. When people refer to classic movies, especially, I feel somewhat in the dark. While I have seen some classics, there are glaringly obvious ones that I am yet to view. This could be because of my lack of said cultural capital but also my lack of fondness for watching films. At the cinema I feel sick. At home I feel like I’m wasting my time – there are so many things I can do in one hundred and ten minutes!
My husband has a friend, Mark, who is a film buff and an enthusiast for the classics. He & his wife recently invited us over to watch a classic film at their house and eat a film-setting-appropriate meal with the film. The name of the film evades me but for something produced more than fifty years ago, it had the pace, the intrigue and thought-provoking plot of a film I saw at the cinema just last month (yes, I did relinquish 170 minutes of my time to watch “The Hobbit”). Thanks to Mark’s passion for quality productions, I resolved to watch more classic films in my spare time. (What is spare time, precious?!)
For the next two weeks, my husband and I have taken holidays for the first time since our wee cherub was born. Week Two of our holidays will be spent on an island with next to no mobile connectivity (hence why I must take a blog-hiatus for one week; I apologise in advance) but for this week, I borrowed out $7.00 worth of weekly DVDs – two of which included “classics.” As a new mother, I have come to the conclusion that my holidays will never really be the same again – until our children are at least 25 – so, watching DVDs (as it’s something I seldom do) has been my relaxational vice this week.
Seeking to “up” my cultural capital, I borrowed out “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.” I think Audrey Hepburn is one of the most stunning ladies to have ever walked the earth so I was expecting a refined and well-mannered Hepburn to grace my television screen – like a classic! How wrong I was… Not knowing much about the plot of the film, I was quick to discover that the only thing classic about Audrey in this film is her dress, style, and beauty. Her character is rude, immature and pretentious– apparently her most difficult role to act in as it ran contrary to her introverted nature. Until a “classic” romance scene in the middle of the film, I was just about ready to press stop on the DVD player and reach for a magazine but I persevered and I’m glad I did. Audrey Heburn’s portrayal of Holly Golightly was completely unexpected but I thoroughly enjoyed it… Much like Monday night’s salmon (my recipe segues are brilliant!).
I have long-desired to cook with dukka (and make my own blend). Being on holidays, I bought a delicious-smelling and bright green-coloured pistachio dukka at my local fresh food markets on Sunday morning and looked for a recipe to coat a salmon fillet – not because I expected them to taste good together (I didn’t, to be honest) but because I had some salmon fillets in the freezer.
Trusting a fellow blogger, who claims to be sober (which is a good thing when dealing with salmon and beetroot), I made two thirds of the following recipe: “Pistachio dukkah crusted salmon on smashed sweet potato and feta with beetroot purée.”
http://www.sobermanfood.com/2011/07/pistachio-dukkah-crusted-salmon-on.html
I spared the sweet potato and just made regular smashed potatoes but as we had left-over beetroot from a weekend BBQ, I attempted the puree (minus the fresh garlic) – also expecting it to taste average because it was beetroot – from a tin! As Matthew and I sat down to eat the meal – which smelt amazing from the aromatic blend of spices – I apologized to him for what I expected to be a bizarre mix of flavours and a somewhat disappointing meal. To me, the blend of spices in a dukka seem to marry well with red meat as does beetroot but seafood and beetroot?! Pink and purple?! I was skeptical…
Matthew’s Eight Finger Tarantula Rating (which will be explained in a later blog): 7.5 out of 8 – An unexpected mix of flavours! I could have just paid for that in a restaurant.
To conclude, Audrey was not as classic as I thought she would be and the classic flavour of dukka was unexpectedly “classic” with the salmon and the beetroot – how ironic! I guess it was several unexpected experiences all round. Here’s to more – especially ones that leave a good taste in my mouth!
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