A review of Carl Muller’s Maudiegirl and Von Bloss’s Kitchen

Maudiegirl Esther Kimball’s first husband, Campbell, died en route 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 history 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 a nutshell, the book presents a picture of life within the bourgeois community, an island within an island. He illustrates, but does not lead. Read it as an experience, not a journey.

Nominally Dutch but Sinhala-speaking, born in Asia but with European aspirations, the Burghers are a fully 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 reprimand through her cooking. She has a recipe for every occasion. Her foods can cure illnesses, solve problems, offer advice, and her cooking skills are recognized throughout the Von Bloss family, including the community. The unfamiliar and complex mix of European, Asian, Dutch, English, Sri Lankan, Indian and American influences in the cuisine reflects the community they live in 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 terse, occasionally playful, often funny, always earthy, sometimes vaguely embarrassing. He metaphorically sails close to the winds and occasionally obfuscates himself by including Sinhala words and phrases without explanation or translation. He makes no excuses for this, and invites the interested reader to find a Sinhalese speaker to help translate this world language and explain, thereby intensifying the experience and promoting inter-racial and cross-cultural communication. Therefore, there!

Maudiegirl And The Von Bloss Kitchen, this part novel, part cookbook, records the day to day, reflects life and opens a window into a perhaps unique culture that is nothing special. There is no plot, no obvious sequence of events, just everyday life as it unfolds predictably and unpredictably. It’s also an excellent cookbook, recording the recipes of an expert cook. And, refreshingly, regardless of what he cooks and in whatever style, no one seems to dislike anything, pick at his food, question the authenticity of it, count calories from it, or even mention omega-3. It is the food of a living culture.