Smelling The Past

They say that smell is the most powerful trigger for memories, or at least one of the most powerful. I often flash back to the first house I can remember growing up, because manure was periodically applied to the lawn, and I smell manure often enough even now. The transit to memory is about instantaneous. I had another memory of that kind the other day. I walked into the kitchen and was suddenly struck with memories of shepherd's pie from dinners growing up.

Nobody in my apartment was making shepherd's pie, I can assure you. I think that a critical spice from the dish must have been used in something or just more in evidence around the kitchen than usual somehow. My memories of shepherd's pie are very fond, of course. It was a terribly filling and flavorful dish, and it puts the lie to the notion that the British do not have any good food to their name. What I've ever had of theirs I liked.

The mashed potatoes were very important of course, and then there was ground beef. Those were the two really critical elements, but also important were the vegetables. I believe we used corn of some form. Perhaps it was creamed corn. It was important for keeping the thing moist. The last thing I can recall well was that spice, which was red and looked striking against the mashed potatoes. I don't recall what it was exactly.

Perhaps one of these days I will attempt to make it on my own. I don't think it would be so very hard. It would entail a fair amount of time and energy compared with the requirements of my usual fare. Frankly the urge to have shepherd's pie is rather an annoyance, and I have nothing to blame but the great efficacy of sense memory. Maybe I ought to plug my nose when I go about, so that I don't smell anything beyond my means.