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Quote by Elif Batuman

“According to the artichoke theory, man had some inner essence, or “heart”; according to the onion theory, once you had unwrapped all the layers of society off of man, there was nothing there. Seen from this perspective, the idea of an onion masquerading as an artichoke seemed sinister, even sociopathic.”

Quote by Elif Batuman

Work

The Idiot

Focusing on the life of a seemingly naive individual, the story delves into the complexities of society and the individual's place within it. more

Author

Elif Batuman
Elif Batuman

Elif Batuman is a Turkish-American author born in 1977. Her works are known for their humor and depth, primarily exploring themes of personal identity, cultural differences, and the experience of growing up. Her debut novel, 'The Possessed', received widespread acclaim. more

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“Pindar turned his thoughts back to time. What exactly was a moment? Was it the shortest span of time that could be represented by art? Perhaps moments were like sheets of gold leaf, hammered ever so thin, each leaf the locus for new thoughts. Time would then be a matter of layering, so that each second had a stack of moments on top, a baklava of time. Was this why his new Babylonian fragment had the word layers, then a gap where a piece was chipped out, then time? Or was that word branches rather than layers? Perhaps time wasn't flat after all. In that case, no sheaves like baklava, but filaments like kataifi, those nests made of shredded pastry drenched with syrup or honey. He saw the pastry threads as silver, now, each strand branching into new trees of silvery time growing out from each second, all of them inhabited by breath. For breathing had become necessary to his conception of time, inspiration and expiration. He needed the gods to breathe into him, breathe through him like a flute.”

“A sandwich loaf (for those who don't know) is a beautiful creation, a multilayer sandwich disguised as a cake. It had fallen out of fashion in recent years, but at one time it was all the rage to serve at bridal showers and christenings. To make a sandwich loaf, you take one loaf of bread, slice it horizontally, and fill each layer with a different filling. The loaves from Scandia were filled with three layers: chicken salad, ham salad, and egg salad. Then the whole thing is frosted with cream cheese, piped with flowers and waves until it becomes a floofy white log. To serve it, you slice it vertically like a cake, each piece containing the three different layers.”

“If Takumi is beating the eggs whole, that means he's making a Genoise sponge cake for the cake layer, which has a soft and smooth texture but tends to be flat. But by beating the eggs separated, Mimasaka is probably making a biscuit sponge cake for the cake layer, which is fluffier and will soak up more of the syrup! "In other words, my cake layer will take better advantage of the sweet syrup than yours. I bet you picked Genoise sponge cake for its tender, smooth texture. That's fine on its own, but if you try them side by side... ... mine will taste better.”

“The citrusy tang of lemon floods the mouth! At the same time, the rich aroma of almond tickles the nose! Both flavors are seamlessly brought together with no bitterness or clashing at all! It's sweet and mild and fragrant! I can feel it awakening the heart of a maiden within me! "I chose a Biscuit Joconde for the sponge cake because it matched so well with the almond pralines. It gives even the cake layer the aroma of almonds, without disturbing the flavor balance in the least.”