Marina's Memoirs

A guest post from the lovely Marina, Chef and Chief Rambler at Le Petit Cafe, Bloomington, IN.



After 32 years in the restaurant business, I certainly have accumulated enough stories to write my memoirs; it was the topic of this morning's rambling while I was preparing my delicious cod/lox quiche….

What would I mostly write about? People, what else? Of course, I could describe the delicate scent emanating from a freshly baked Tarte Tatin but would people pay money to read that? I would not; I would rather spend my money on the tart itself!

So, I would write stories about the people who have made me laugh and about the people who have made me cry too; no one wants to read a long succession of happy dining stories of happy customers. I know I would not; I would be bored to tears!

This is precisely what I want to entertain you about: how could I possibly write about the people who have frustrated me and be absolutely sure the ones who have never caused me any grief (would it be easier if I called these two groups by a letter?) will not take it personally?

For instance, if I tell a story about that vegetarian or that person with food and allergy issues, I can think of at least 20 people, WHO ARE ABSOLUTELY NOT THE ONES I AM TALKING ABOUT, who might take it personally! Then what do I do?

A long foot-note at the bottom of the page might be the solution but it would say something like this:

The allergic person in this story is not the one who comes for lunch every Sunday and sits by the piano or the person whose son goes to IU Law School or the one who owns a vintage clothing shop, etc….

The vegetarian in this story is not a retired Spanish teacher who also comes every Sunday for lunch and also sits by the piano or a woman married to a man in the lumber business who also enjoys sitting by the piano (I know what you are thinking: the piano is a coveted sitting spot) or a person married to a mathematician, etc…

Each foot note would be as long as the acknowledgments at the end of a book!

I might find the solution to this dilemma during another rambling session but I all can think now is that I should either wait until I retire or attend a writing class. But quite frankly, with all this rambling who has time for a class?