À la recherche du temps perdu

For the occasion of my birthday, I was making something quite special: apple-crumble. Putting all the ingredients together made me realize this was one of ‘my most recent Madeleine cookies’.

The recipe I used is a New-Zealand one which I adjusted just a little bit (using red fruits instead of rhubarb) but still maintaining the few things that make it … kiwi. There is one place in particular I think about when I’m making and eating the crumble: Scott’s Landing near Auckland. Over there, I copied the recipe from a cookbook at Chris’ parents house. Although I liked everything in that lovely place, there are a few things that over and over again pup into my mind and make me feel really nostalgic: the floor heating (yes .. it’s was rather cold and rainy so I –with my ever cold feet- could use it!), Ambers face when she was correcting my article (saying: Uuuugh, no wonder you have insomnia! She as well didn’t consider the subject as sexy ;)), the mango-chicken and pancakes I made, … and just the peace and quiet of the place. It was like going on a trip when I already was on a holiday. These things probably don’t sound very exciting but they are precious to me. I can say that when I left for New Zealand I had something in mind: I was looking for some time for myself, for some peace and quiet, which I definitely found. I spend my last days in New-Zealand in Scott’s Landing. I guess it was “the closure” of my New-Zealand chapter and therefore for me kinda symbolizes what I wanted to obtain in the first place.

Speaking of Proust, you know what’s another rather strange ‘Madeleine cookie’? The taste the wooden spoon had after my ‘moeke’ had stirred it through the “zurkel patatten” and I was allowed to ‘clean’. .. or the cold potatoes she kept in the fridge and I secretly had when she didn’t see it. Oh, I would have killed someone for that! I can still see myself standing in her little kitchen, with a typical kimmy tail in my hair. Although I don’t have that hair anymore and also am a tiny bit taller, the funny thing is I still love the “zurkelpatatjes”.

Or a mix of potatoes, a cooked egg and tomatoes my sister and me always asked my mum for.

Etc. etc. etc.

Hmm… I have a hell of a lot Madeleine cookies in my just 24 year ‘young’ life when I think about it … no surprise, I always loved cookies and still do! It’s a metaphor that works for me.