/dɪˈzɜrt/ [dih-zurt]
NOUN- 1. A usually {SWEET} course or dish.
Lately, my blog might be easily mistaken as a cooking blog, and I suppose now-a-days, it has been. But cooking techniques & recipes is not solely what its about, and is not by any means the heart of the premise.
But has become, and has been, a beautiful metaphor. to represent something else, something bigger. beyond food, beyond cooking.
Living life, taking the things we are given (ingredients) and making something delicious out of it.
Savoring each meal.
sa·vor. [sey-ver] VERB-To take in each distinctive quality, through all the senses, taste, smell, sight, touch. give oneself to the enjoyment of: to savor the best (and sometimes worst) in life.
Someone once said, "Every meal is a sensual experience!"
... and why not live each moment of life that way??? Make love to the world through our existence.
For me it has also been taking the time to do a thing I enjoy. regardless of how hectic/crazy life gets, making it a priority to stop and take ten minutes to capture a good image of a vegetable, half chopped (minced or sliced!) on my counter top. Or taking the time to wait for things to ripen, season, marinate... infuse perfectly....without rushing. never settling for anything less then a dam good thing. My expectations, excellence, as a standard. for yes my meals, but more importantly, my life.
Trying new recipes.
"Anyone who has never made a mistake is someone who has never tried anything new." - Albert Einstein
some (recipes... things in life...) you try and mess up, but may learn what you'd do to make it better the next time. Some you try and discover something uh-mazing! have it many times after, again and again, having found something you love. others you try, and you just dont like at all.
main point is: try.
Because to DISCOVER, one must explore.
the analogies could go on and on. The metaphors and their meanings are there to be found. a simple matter of paying attention, gratitude and appreciation.
With that said, (lets) enjoy the sweet things in life:
Baked Apples
(modified from simplyrecipes.com using stevia as a natural alternative for sugar)
Ingredients
* 4 large good baking apples, such as Rome Beauty, Golden Delicious, or Jonagold
* STEVIA -6 packets OR 1/2 tsp liquid
(conversions for 1/4 cup sugar. see conversion table & more stevia info @ cookingwithstevia.com)
* 1 teaspoon cinnamon
* 1/4 cup chopped pecans
* 1/4 cup currants or chopped raisins
* 1 Tbsp butter
* 3/4 cup boiling water
1 Preheat oven to 375°F. Wash apples. Remove cores to 1/2 inch of the bottom of the apples. It helps if you have an apple corer, but if not, you can use a paring knife to cut out first the stem area, and then the core. Use a spoon to dig out the seeds. Make the holes about 3/4-inch to an inch wide.
2 In a small bowl, combine the stevia, cinnamon, currants/raisins, and pecans. Place apples in a 8-inch-by-8-inch square baking pan. Stuff each apple with mixture. Top with a dot of butter (~1/4 of the Tbps).
3 Add boiling water to the baking pan. Bake 30-40 minutes, until tender, but not mushy. Remove from the oven and baste the apples several times with the pan juices.
Serve warm.
ENJOY.
