To Lorraine or Florentine

Quiche,

I am sorry, you are nice, but it just doesn't work for us.

I will still have a slice of you from time to time, whoever you are, Lorraine or Florentine, but I am not going to make you anymore. It's your crust, I am really done with your crust.

I tried very hard to accommodate your crust. Use knifes, not hands; careful with water, don't soak the dough; blind bake the crust first; check any cracking.

It is still leaking.

Starting from scratch is always my principle in most things, but quiche, you make me question my life ideology.

Especially when two ready-to-bake crusts at Métro cost only $4.5.

I guess I may turn to Tortilla, your Spanish neighbour with no crust, if I crave for an eggy cake one day.

Take care.

Chan

都還在

興之所致時胡亂整的手工，想來已有三年。心意雖然爆棚，但質素都是業餘，叫做還未爛吧。

至今還能看見它們各守崗位，那是如此的微不足道卻又如此的意義重大。薄薄的布塊把我的念頭都掀起了。

年輪的故事

今年是楓糖漿的豐收年，因為今年初春的天氣屬日間溫度高於零度、晚間又跌至零下；這種天氣條件令楓樹中引出來的sap（楓糖液）特別多。我們在Carp將鄰居因太多而轉送的一加侖sap放在火爐上讓它綿綿地煲，三天後它濃縮到約莫只餘1公升，就成為了楓糖漿了。

我們很高興地在早餐中以楓糖漿取代蜜糖，又給朋友品嚐，包括剛退休的園藝教授Phil。當我們提到今年楓糖業豐收時，Phil說希望這不會令楓樹太stress，接著他就給我們解釋了一個有趣的樹木現象。

在這樣的豐收年，楓樹sap流出特別多，即樹內貯下的sap會減少。Sap是樹木用於天氣惡劣時的營養庫存，如果那年之後的日子特別乾燥或大風，樹的水份不足，就會著緊於用庫存來挨日子，而不能再集中在樹木生長上，那麼年輪的擴展幅度就會較往時為小，而新枝幹也會較平日的短，這些都會記錄在樹上，毋須細微科學驗證也可以察覺得到。

聽起來既合理又不複雜的現象，但我可從來沒有想過，還覺得有某點浪漫感。

A beautiful story of a rocking chair

雞有雞味

如果早餐的煎蛋遲遲未來，那是因為今早母雞還未生蛋。

這是一個笑話，但這的確可以在古巴發生，因為古巴人很愛養三幾隻雞；就是在大城市夏灣拿，在屋內天井，也不難發現雞踪，是真正的Free range。

即使牠們吃的不是美麗農場的穀子和小蟲，而是泥沙塵中的爛菜，古巴的雞和雞蛋，仍是很有雞味和蛋味。

古巴確是很窮，他們甚麼都是吃本地的，選擇有限；無論是城市還是鄉下，蔬菜總是椰菜、蕃茄、青瓜、芋頭；生果總是菠蘿、蕉、蕃石榴和木瓜，但一切都是自有其味。

《讀愛情故事的老人》

二月初到圖書館，館方為了情人節，展示了好幾本「經典」應節讀物，包括這本題為《讀愛情故事的老人》的書。

是一個智利作者Luis Sepulveda的舊作，說阿馬遜森林中，有一個罕有地會讀書的老人。

雖然表面是一個與情人有關的故事，但實際上是說阿馬遜河的生活，當然包括白人與土人和大自然之間的衝突。很簡單的故事，甚至，根本愛看愛情故事這一點，也沒有甚麼劇情延伸。

這本很薄很精簡的小書，成為我認識智利文學的第一步；結果是異常地好看，很多令人會心微笑的內容，也令我對南美洲有多一點認識。

牙醫老朋友看到老人，向他打招呼：「喂！你仲未死咩？」
老人作勢聞一聞腋窩再答道：「呀！仲未。」

要再去找他的其他作品讀讀。

這首Wand'rin' star是1969年電影"Paint Your Wagon"中的歌曲，電影據說非常滑鐵盧，但男演員Lee Marvin在片中拒絕咪咀，自己唱所有作品，最後這套戲的原聲大碟，竟受歡迎得將Beatles同年的Let It Be大碟也壓到第二位去。

但嗓子比Tom Waits更沉的Lee Marvin，也沒有再繼續唱歌，就這樣成為了一碟歌王。Lee Marvin的歌聲真是過耳不忘；而歌詞也非常地美麗，深深刻劃了不羈的境界；音樂方面也有點令我想起Les Miserable 電影中的Can You Hear the People Sing。

Wand'rin' star
Written by Alan Jay Lerner
Music by Frederick Loewe

I was born under a wand'rin' star
I was born under a wand'rin' star
Wheels are made for rolling, mules are made to pack
I've never seen a sight that didn't look better looking back
I was born under a wand'rin' star

Mud can make you prisoner and the plains can bake you dry
Snow can burn your eyes, but only people make you cry
Home is made for coming from, for dreams of going to
Which with any luck will never come true
I was born under a wand'rin' star
I was born under a wand'rin' star

Do I know where hell is, hell is in hello
Heaven is goodbye forever, its time for me to go
I was born under a wand'rin' star
A wand'rin' wand'rin' star

(Mud can make you prisoner and the plains can bake you dry)
(Snow can burn your eyes, but only people make you cry)
(Home is made for coming from, for dreams of going to)
(Which with any luck will never come true)
(I was born under a wand'rin' star)
(I was born under a wand'rin' star)

When I get to heaven, tie me to a tree
For I'll begin to roam and soon you'll know where I will be
I was born under a wand'rin' star
A wand'rin' wand'rin' star