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 Water

As I sit here sucking down another 28 ounces of water flavored with slices of lemons and limes, it was obvious the focus of my blog was going to be water. It was not just my being intentional about drinking half my body weight in water, which inspired this week’s blog, but also the messages about water I received from my spiritual addiction to the Food Network and Cooking Channel. So many things we do in the kitchen and in the preparation of food include water. We use water to cleanse our dishes and cooking utensils whether it is in a dishwasher or when washing them by hand. We use water to wash fruits and vegetables. We use water to soak beans, to rinse grains such as quinoa, or to rinse the liquid off canned beans. We use water to cook so many things including potatoes, rice, quinoa, pasta, beans and so much more. We use water to make ice cubes for drinks or to shock vegetables or seafood after blanching or precooking them. We use water in making simple syrups and in making a wide diversity of beverages, especially those that might cool us off on a hot summer day (lemonade, iced tea, iced coffee, etc.). There is not a meal prepared in the kitchen, which does not include water, yet rarely do we give water much thought or consideration.

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