最近在翻讀村上春樹的隨筆舊作，其中一篇寫到他年輕時在意大利 Tuscany 駕着藍色的棍波 Alfa Romeo，在鎮內的橫街窄巷中穿梭，當刻我想起一位朋友。她也喜歡讀村上、喜歡意大利，也駕駛意大利車。一輛小小的雙門 Fiat， 棍波，副座總有她的小狗 P的身影，牠嘴巴半張伸出舌頭，笑嘻嘻的看風景。她的車子好小，大概是我坐過最小的車，卻與她的小個子好匹配。
我們在工作上認識，相處短暫，之後往來，是因為我們都喜愛吃、書本、小動物和威士忌，neat。以往我們住得很近，我偶爾做菜做多了，或烤了蛋糕，想她也許會喜歡，便問她可否幫忙吃一點。她開車過來我家大概要兩分鐘，我開自動波車過去可能要十分鐘，假設沒有不幸的事情發生。
我們在油麻地美都餐室吃紅豆冰、在大班樓吃甜梅菜扣肉配蒸夾饃，滿嘴油脂肉汁，兩人大叫好幸福，我想沒多少女生喜歡那脂肪溶在嘴裡的五花腩；在肥後屋，我把一包從日本帶回來的昆布交給她，那一餐很美味，我卻記不起吃了甚麼，因為當晚的對話比食物深刻，那是她離開香港前，我們吃的最後一頓飯。一切美味回憶猶在唇邊。
「你最近好嗎？」
「我剛剛才想起你呢！」
上午讀了村上，朋友下午便傳短訊來，好像知道到我想起她。
即使分隔兩地，我們吃到美味的食物仍然會分享照片和食記，讀到有趣、具啓發性或純粹自己喜歡的書或電影，又或想到對方可能也會喜歡的事，依然會互相分享。某天，我看了美國作家 Joan Didion 的紀錄片，對她的著作有興趣，便開始讀。讀着《The Year of Magical Thinking》，她以洞悉世情、凝煉優雅的文字誌悼，寫時事或社會議題的作品中，細膩之中更見筆鋒冷峻銳利。我想，這位朋友也會喜歡 Joan Didion 的作品。後來向她提起，她原來那已讀過這本書，也分享最近看的書，我把書目都放到待讀清單上。
內向的人交友揀擇，往往寧願自己一人讀本好書、 聽音樂，自在愜意。我們從沒有頻繁的訊息往來，偶爾分享近況，知道各自都好好生活，便足夠。
這天，我看見當造的新鮮意大利白露筍，想你應該也會喜歡。
焦化牛油白露筍
材料：
新鮮白露筍 500 克
無鹽牛油 20克
橄欖油 2 茶匙
海鹽 一小撮
羅勒脆麵包糠材料：
日式麵包糠 ½ 杯
新鮮羅勒葉 8-10 片
橄欖油 2 茶匙
做法：
I was recently reading an old compilation of casual short notes by Haruki Murakami. One of the stories wrote about his stay in Tuscany, when he was young and driving a manual blue Alfa Romeo navigating narrow alleys, which reminded me of a friend. She is a Murakami fan too, loves Italy and drives an Italian car. It was a tiny two-door Fiat, manual too, and her dog, P, was usually on the passenger seat by her, looking out of the window in its signature smiley face while sticking its tongue out. The car was so small, probably the smallest I had ever ride, but with the driver’s tiny frame, it’s the perfect car.
We met at work. A short encounter. What kept us in touch was the fact that we both love good food, books, small animals and whiskey, neat. Our homes were just a few minutes ride apart; about 2 minutes if she drove from her place to mine, and probably 10 minutes if I drove, in automatic, given no unfortunate event happened on the road.
We had red bean ice at Mido Café in Yau Ma Tei; braised pork belly with sweet pickled mustard sandwiched in a steamed bun at The Chairman, and we couldn’t help but say “heaven!” when our mouths were stuffed with the pork juice and fat – girls enjoying that melt-in-your-mouth fatty pork belly are just rare; at Fei4Hau6Uk1, I passed her a pack of kombu I had brought back from Japan. Food was lovely but I do not remember what exactly we ate. Conversations that night made a place in my memory instead. It was our last dinner before she left Hong Kong. Everything is still deliciously vivid.
“How are you lately?”
“I was just thinking about you!”
I read Murakami in the morning, and she texted me in the afternoon as if she knew that I thought of her.
Now that we live in two different cities, we still share photos and tasting notes on delicious food we have had, books and movies that we find interesting, inspiring or we are simply fond of. Or, something we thought each other may like. One day, I watched a documentary on Joan Didion, an American writer, and was intrigued to read her work. In 《A Year of Magical Thinking》, she puts her personal mourning in observant and lyrical words; in her other journalistic work, it’s a detailed proses in piercing calmness. I thought, my dear friend may like it too. When I finally mentioned the writer to her, she said that she had already read it and shared what she has recently read. And, I put those titles on my to-read list.
Introverts do not befriend just anyone. We would often rather read a good book and listen to music by ourselves, comfortably. We have never had frequent text messages but sparse updates on our lives. Knowing each other is living well is all we need to know.
Today, I saw some beautiful Italian white asparagus fresh in season. I thought you may like it too.
White Asparagus in Brown Butter
Ingredients:
Fresh white asparagus 500g
Unsalted butter 20g
Olive oil 2 teaspoons
Sea salt A pinch
Ingredients for basil breadcrumbs:
Panko ½ cup
Fresh basil leaves 8-10 pieces
Olive oil 2 teaspoons
Steps:
Shoplist:
White Asparagus from Mercato Gourmet
G/F, 3-11 Wing Fung St, Wan Chai
Jo Liu
It’s raining outside, crisp and bleak. Three chubby sparrows took shelter on my balcony and I gave them the baguette bits left on my breakfast plate but they flew away. I stayed in, played Damien Rice on vinyl and made apple crumble. Repeat.
Instagram: foodialoguehk
