Love and Hunger

"It seems that our three basic needs, for food and security and love, are so mixed and mingled and entwined that we cannot straightly think of one without the other. So it happens that when I write of hunger, I am really writing about love and the hunger for it...and then the warmth and richness and fine reality of hunger satisfied...and it is all one."

--M. F. K. Fisher, The Art of Eating

Quote of the Week: Piercing Intuition of the Sea

"If you don't love life you can't enjoy an oyster; there is a shock of freshness to it and intimations of the ages of man, some piercing intuition of the sea and all its weeds and breezes. [They] shiver you for a split second."

--Eleanor Clark

Quote of the Week: Happy and Successful Cooking

"Happy and successful cooking doesn't rely on know-how; it comes from the heart, makes great demands on the palate and needs enthusiasm and a deep love of food to bring it to life."

--Georges Blanc, Ma Cusine des Saisons

Quote of the Week: Food, Security, and Love

"It seems to me that our three basic needs, for food and security and love, are so mixed and mingled and entwined that we cannot straightly think of one without the others. So it happens that when I write of hunger, I am really writing about love and the hunger for it, and warmth and the love of it and the hunger for it; and then the warmth and richness and fine reality of hunger satisfied; and it is all one."

--M. F. K. Fisher, The Art of Eating

Quote of the Week: Imaginary Peanut Butter

Claire: Peanut butter. Why do I remember peanut butter?

Charlie: It was imaginary peanut butter, actually.

Quote of the Week: Gimme a Kiss

Alvy Singer: Hey listen, listen. Gimme a kiss.

Annie Hall: Really?

Alvy Singer: Yeah, why not, because we're just gonna go home later, right? And, and...uh, there's gonna be all that tension. We never kissed before, and I'll never know when to make the right move or anything. So we'll kiss now, we'll get it all over with, and then we'll go eat, okay? And we'll digest our food better.

Annie Hall: Okay.

[they kiss]

Alvy Singer: So now we can digest our food.

Sometimes Life Hands You Lemons...

Sometimes life hands you lemons. This annoying phenomena is a just a part of living on this chaotic earth in this crazy universe.


But sometimes life hands you Meyer lemons and you squeeze them into a marinade composed of olive oil, champagne vinegar, sea salt, fresh-ground pepper, herbs de Provence, ground Dalmation sage, bay leaf, and other assorted herbs. So instead of crying over sour lemons you marinate some chicken and cook dinner in what might be the nicest kitchen you’ve ever utilized.


You also roast some fingerling potatoes with fresh rosemary and garlic and top them off with some fresh chives. In a pan on the stove you cook up some baby broccoli—a hybrid of broccoli and kale—with luscious olive oil and chicken broth.


You also throw together a little oyster mushroom creation where you brown oyster mushrooms in olive oil and butter and let them simmer in a little chicken broth. It just happens to be the perfect accompaniment to the crispy potatoes.


A salad created by your hostess combines the best of all fresh produce: farmer’s market mixed greens, avocados, and tomatoes, lightly tossed in olive oil and vinegar. It’s the perfect complement to your other creations.

Then you share that dinner with caring people who have welcomed you into their home in Portland, Maine.


Such is life when it hands you Meyer lemons. And by “you,” of course, I mean “me.” This is my life. And I love it. I have to say that my life is pretty damn good. I’m blessed that right now everything is falling into an eerie balance. I don’t want to disturb it, just appreciate it, and yet there is that element of treading lightly. Do I dare disturb the universe? Do I dare to eat a peach?

Yes, I do dare. Happiness is there for the taking and our lives our own making.

Sometimes life does hand you lemons, but sometimes it hands you good friends, loving family, decadent dark chocolate, ripe strawberries, luscious wine, briny and buttery oysters, melt-in-your-mouth foie gras, sexy olives, crispy chicken, and a beautiful world. What can we do but accept when our plate is overflowing that we’ve got it made? We don’t know when the universe could snatch it all away from us, so we might as well appreciate what we’ve got. And when that heavenly buffet does close to me, you know I’ll be holding on tight…knife and fork in hand, ready to bite in to whatever the universe has got waiting for me.

A Table Without Love

"A table without love is like beef without mustard, an insipid dish."

--Anatole France

Quote of the Week: Cooking is Like Love

“Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all.”

—Harriet Van Horne

Song of the Week: Cooking Breakfast for the One I Love

Quote of the Week: An Act of Love

“Cooking is at once child’s play and adult joy. And cooking done with care is an act of love.”

—Craig Claiborne

Nourishment for the Heart, Soul, and Mind

Throughout the year we nourish ourselves not only with food but with our connection with others. On this New Years Eve, I’m sad to say that one individual who truly nourished the lives of other with wisdom, grace, and kindness passed way just yesterday on December 30, 2009. Her name is Dr. Margaret Wade-Lewis, and I’m honored that she was both my professor and advisor when I studied with her at SUNY New Paltz. She served as the chair of the Black Studies Department and was the director of the Scholar’s Mentorship Program at SUNY New Paltz. Throughout her life she impacted the lives of countless individuals, both inside and outside the classroom. There is both sorrow and sweetness as I recall the memories surrounding this inspirational woman—sorrow in the loss, and sweetness in the moments I spent with her. 

Dr. Wade-Lewis touched the lives of many students, colleagues, friends, and family members—and she will be missed by all. There were some days I walked into her classroom empty, and she filled me with knowledge or hope or confidence. Although she has now passed, her memory will continue to nourish our lives.

Her influence went far beyond the classroom, and she will not be forgotten. Her memory lives on in all who were touched by her. In the excitement of welcoming in the new year, I hope that all who knew her will take a moment to reflect on the life of this amazing and inspiring woman. In the New Year of 2010 I wish you all the companionship of people who can offer the same nourishment for your heart, soul, and mind as Dr. Wade-Lewis did for so many in her life. Have a happy and healthy New Year everyone.

Should old acquaintance be forgot
And never brought to mind?
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lang syne!

The new year brings us hope for peace,
A new day for mankind,
Where we can all live hand in hand
And leave all hate behind.

For auld lang syne, my dear.
For auld lang syne.
We'll take a cup of kindness yet
For auld lang syne.

When dreams they seem so far away,
Your soul can feel so low.
But love is never far away;
Your heart won't be alone.

Let's make a world where people care,
A world that knows no fear,
Where we can open up our hearts
And hold each other dear.

Our children grow, they need to know
The Future's theirs to hold.
If we can teach them how to love
Then the world can carry on.

For auld lang syne, my dear.
For auld lang syne.
We'll take a cup of kindness yet
For auld lang syne.

Song of the Week: That's Amore