Food, music, and philosophy

This being my first official blog, it seems like I should write out a long complicated premise, somehow. But really this is just to put down my love of great food, done well. The music comes in as it is actually my career, and I love it, and the philosophy for both are my philosophy on life. Guess that did end up a bit long winded after all! So here goes...

There is something a bit sad about the modern way of cooking and eating with everything in instant reach and no waiting or expectancy. Food porn speaks to me, so to equate it with sex, waiting is half the fun, no matter how much you want it, thwarted desire satisfied is far better than instant gratification! So I try to cook locally, with the seasons, with some exceptions. The big one being mangoes, although none will ever compare to the ones my husband's uncle brought me when we visited him in Taiwan- totally like silk on the tongue, starting to drool, excuse me for a moment... Anyway, importantly, the things that are in season, usually taste the best together and will satisfy the soul in a way that the same old stuff grown thousands of miles away or in a hothouse would.

As for meat, I am not a vegetarian, although I often have vegetarian days simply because I feel more alive and healthy when I do. This applies to eliminating caffine and alcohol, but I'm currently having a Rochefort, a Belgian Trappist beer with 11 percent alcohol, so obviously I ignore that too. Anyway, with the meat thing, I tend buy less but have it organic or if not, at least specialty breeds of free range chicken (the French types are very good), pork (Spanish acorn fed is really expensive but amazing and Gloucester Old Spot is a great English breed), or beef (different breeds have different attributes). Just remember, when you eat an animal that is pen raised, it has had a very short, traumatic life which, aside from being a karmically very negative thing, is taste-wise very negative.

So now, I'll give you some of my favorite recipes as the fall progresses- or sometimes, just what I made my family for diner! I hope some of you enjoy it as much as I'll like to write it!