When I had been writing food reviews for a number of years, there were so many restaurants and individual dishes in my brainpan that when people asked for a recommendation, I couldn't think of a single restaurant where I'd ever actually eaten. But if the person could narrow it down to, say, Indian, I might remember one lavish Indian palace, where my date had asked the waiter for the Rudyard Kipling sampler and later for the holy-cow tartare. Then a number of memories would come to mind, of other dates and other Indian restaurants.
In her book "Bird by Bird," author Anne Lamott reflects on her experiences writing food reviews. She describes a moment when, after years of evaluating various restaurants, she struggled to recall a specific place when asked for a recommendation. This illustrates the overwhelming nature of having too many experiences and memories in her mind, making it difficult to pinpoint just one standout option.
However, when the requester narrowed the options to a specific cuisine, like Indian food, Lamott's memories resurfaced. She vividly recalls a lavish Indian restaurant experience, filled with anecdotes about dates and unique dishes. This highlights how categorizing information can aid memory recall, allowing her to share memorable dining experiences with others.
