SIMMERING

May 10, 2020

The advice has always been the same, let the sauce simmer,
and for hours it would,
because it takes time
to develop layers of flavor
It takes longer periods of time
to cook some cuts of meat.
They just need to cook
low and slow,
until the meat falls off the bone.

There is something about food
that has been simmered.
It is full of flavor
and every bite seems to have
one layer after another.
The problem is
we rarely simmer anymore.
We microwave,
pressure cook,
and do whatever we can
to speed up the process.

The same is true
in our spiritual journey.
There are some situations
we can microwave our way through,
but there is a wisdom and understanding
which comes from time,
meditation, and
reflection.
It comes when we allows
the ideas
to simmer within us
allowing us to gain
a deeper understanding
from the time we
simmering.

W IS FOR WAFFLES

One of my wife’s favorite foods is a waffle. Until recently, one of the wisest investments we made was in the waffle iron we bought. It is one of those waffle makers that takes all the guesswork out of making waffles. The only challenge was the first batch getting them to the proper level of crispness for my boo. That accomplished, which for her was between a 4 and a 5, the rest was a cakewalk. You plug it in and it beeps when it is properly heated. Put in the batter and close the lid and it beeps when your waffle is done. Perfectly prepared waffles every time. The main problem I have is that sometimes I put a bit too much batter in and then it overflows and I have to clean up the overflow once her waffle is done. Life, like a waffle does not always go smoothly or seem to come out perfectly.

Watching my wife drool and moan as she dreamingly devoured two buttermilk waffles smothered in melted butter and syrup, she asked me if I was going to have one. No. don’t get me wrong, waffles can be awesome. And every once in a while, I can have a waffle the way she likes them, but most times, if I am going to have a waffle, I have to do something to it. Like one day, I added blueberries and ricotta cheese to my waffle batter. Oh my, those were so good. Especially when I would come to this little pocket of ricotta cheese and then a blueberry. It was almost like eating a cross between a blintz and a waffle.

But my favorite way to eat a waffle is with some shredded cheddar cheese and some salsa mixed into the batter. So it is kind of like this quesadilla waffle. Sometimes I will hold the salsa, just add some taco meat, cheese, diced jalapenos, onions, and tomatoes to the batter, and then put salsa on top, kind of like the syrup. There really is no right way to eat a waffle.

Read More