Maudiegirl Esther Kimball’s first husband, Campbell, died on the voyage to Ceylon. Her second, Kimball, succumbed to malaria. She then married Cecilprins and became her tower of strength. This is how Carl Muller describes, for lack of a better word, the heroine of Maudiegirl And The Von Bloss Kitchen.
The book continues the story the author began in the award-winning The Jam Fruit Tree, a story of bourgeois life in Sri Lanka. If “heroine” was a slightly inappropriate description of Maudiegirl, then “story” is certainly not a description of the plot of this book. In short, the book presents a picture of life within the bourgeois community, an island within an island. It illustrates, but it does not lead. Read it as an experience, not a journey.
Nominally Dutch but Sinhalese-speaking, born in Asia but with European aspirations, the burghers are an entirely integrated race apart. The names survive: Van Der Poorten, Caspars, etc., but the identity is simply confused. Who doesn’t?
Most of the life of this bourgeois family revolves around food and sex, not always in that order. Sustenance and procreation take up most of the time, and recreation, usually in the form of sex, takes up the rest. Maudiegirl is the pillar of the home, probably of the community. She brings people together, solves problems, disposes of wisdom and the occasional scolding through her kitchen. She has a recipe for every occasion. Her meals can cure illnesses, solve problems, offer advice, and her culinary skills are recognized throughout the Von Bloss family, even in the community. The unfamiliar and complex mix of European, Asian, Dutch, English, Sri Lankan, Indian and American influences in the cuisine reflects the community in which they live and their place in the world.
A woman who cannot conceive eats too much fish. She needs something stronger. Stewed eel works wonders. I just wonder what. Dunnyboy exposes himself in public. Big Deal. Sister concerns. Eat pork pie. Daughter needs baby. She needs to hammer. Make plum pudding (dried fruit only, grease a pan, boil or steam for four hours). Problem solved.
Carl Muller’s style is concise, occasionally playful, often funny, always earthy, sometimes vaguely embarrassing. He sails metaphorically close to the winds and, at times, obfuscates by including Sinhala words and phrases without explanation or translation. He makes no excuses for this, and invites the interested reader to find a Sinhala speaker to help translate this world language and explain, thus intensifying the experience and promoting communication across races and cultures. Therefore, there!
Maudiegirl And The Von Bloss Kitchen, this half-novel, half-cookbook, records everyday life, reflects on life, and opens a window into a perhaps unique culture that is unremarkable. There is no plot, no obvious sequence of events, just everyday life as it unfolds in predictable and unpredictable ways. It is also an excellent cookbook, recording the recipes of an expert cook. And refreshingly, no matter what you cook and in whatever style, no one seems to dislike anything, pick at your food, question the authenticity of it, count calories in it, or even mention omega-3s. It is the food of a living culture.