Fifth Discussion: Tom
Glen Ivy Book Club Reads The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister
Much like the complexity of the recipe described in this chapter, I found Tom’s story to be sweet, sad, romantic, and heartbreaking all at the same time. This chapter seemed to transport me in to the character’s life; perhaps because of the sensual descriptions not only of the food but of the time that Tom and Charlie shared together. I felt the timelessness of Tom’s love for Charlie and thought how perfect it was that the chosen meal was pasta with red sauce. As a child growing up in a predominately Italian-American neighborhood, I have vivid memories of “pasta night,” which, perhaps, should have been more aptly named “pasta day.” The sauce was always started by mid-morning and left to simmer until the evening dinner. The scent filled every room of the large, old farmhouse I grew up in, and wafted through the windows and into the backyard and surrounding neighborhood. My repeated inquiry of, “Is it done yet?” was always met with the same reply: Good sauce takes time. I relish those memories and take pride in my ability to make authentic sauce by using my senses: knowing the feel of good garlic and the weight of the best plum tomatoes, recognizing how the wooden spoon should move through sauce that will be the perfect thickness and remembering the sweet, earthy aroma of sauce that was left to simmer through the entire day.
Like every good meal, Tom and Charlie’s seemingly endless time together came to a close, but, like the memories we carry of the food we share with those we love, is relived in the senses and best honored when the recipe is shared with others. In preparing the night’s meal with his classmates, it seemed to me that Charlie’s heart began to open. What do you think?
Charlie stated, “We’re all just ingredients…What matters is the grace with which you cook the meal.” What do you think she meant by this? Why do you think Charlie saw Tom as the oregano? Do you think it’s significant that on this night the pasta sauce was just a little different than the Spaghetti del Mare that Tom shared with Charlie, then again on his first visit to Lillian’s restaurant?
I think that Charlie meant that we are all just players in the big picture. It’s what we do and the choices we make in our lives that develops the outcome. What matters is the grace in which we choose to live our lives.
I believe Charlie saw Tom as the oregano as the item that pulls it all together-merges the ingredients. She also refers to “oregano as the soft velvet of oregano” perhaps as a metaphor that Tom was a soft and safe place to lean on.
Tom’s heart seemed more open to me in the class because he was fulfilling one of Charlie’s last wishes and promise that he will keep cooking when she was gone….not just eat but to cook.
Hi Everyone,
Sorry I am joining late, but my book just arrived last weekend. It wasn’t too difficult to catch up as I can’t seem to put the book down now that it has arrived. I enjoyed reading your earlier posts.
When I first heard of the book through the website it did not seem to be a book that I would find interesting but I thought I would try it anyway. What a wonderful surprise. While I skim or at least read quickly many books I get (so many books, so little time), I find myself savoring this one, which is interesting because that is what the book is about… savoring life.
This chapter about Tom was close to home for me. I lost my husband a few years ago so I could relate to Tom’s loss of the person who was so different from him, yet brought an intensity to his life and brings us joy. I agree with Frankie, a cook can combine all of the ingredients, but it isn’t Italian until the one ingredient oregano is added. Tom added to the relationship the one element that Charlie needed.
Thanks for letting me join the group. I am looking forward to reading more.
Welcome to the group, Susan! We’re happy you’re joining us.
I so agree with you and Frankie about Tom’s character. I also think that oregano is one of those spices that we sometimes take for granted; we don’t think a lot about it unless it isn’t there; as you said it isn’t Italian without the oregano. Tom gave Charlie what she needed in her life, and I think he also brings an understanded but needed presence to the cooking class.
We hope that you’ll keep blogging with us and join us for our Book Club Spa Day on July 27th…the author of this book, Erika Bauermiester, will be joining us for lunch on that day! Hope to see you there!
Hi Everyone,
I myself can not seem to get enough of this book. With each new character I get to know I find myself in Lillians cooking class with them.
I believe thatToms heart did begin to open in this class because of Charlie. Charlie I felt, taught Tom to see that the little things in life end up being the big picture. ” We are all just ingredients… What matters is the grace in which you cook the meal.” She expressed herself by food and that all food is lovely.
I think she saw Tom as oregano because in this recipe as in many other Italian recipes it is key and it makes the dish “make sense”. Tom in this case was her oregano and he made her life make sense.
I believe that there was significance in difference to all three of the pasta dishes. In cooking, all you have are the ingrediants and as long as a meal is prepared with grace (as all three meals were) it will make them special.
Bye for now!
”We are all just ingredients… What matters is the grace in which you cook the meal.” There is something different about every recipe. A different mixture of ingredients that are added together to make something whole. No matter what ingredients you use in a recipe, the grace in which you add those ingredients and complete that recipe is what makes the finished and complete meal. Charlie was that ingredient that Tom needed in his life.
I think that Charlie saw Tom as the oregano because he was that essential ingredient for Charlie, and vice versa.
I feel that the significance of the pasta sauce being a little different relates back to the idea that it doesn’t matter what ingredients are used in the recipe, it’s what you make out of those ingredients that makes a recipe special and complete.