Celebrating …. everything

Evolution is inevitable, if…

The ideas I held, years back, when revisited today, clearly express the experiences I had up till then. I have been documenting recipes for more than twenty years, and it is always curious when I go back, and revisit a recipe. Why did I make that choice? How will I reshape my future endeavors based upon today -- yellow cheddar in a block was exotic at a time when I had such limited the scope for my expression. Now, moked Gouda is everyday, while I flipped for the lavender studded Truckle that seduced me in Sydney. It wasn’t until I moved out of the relative safety of my known world that I was jolted towards dynamic growth afforded by meeting things completely alien to me.

Oh, the awakening of creativity prompted by the strange and unfamiliar. An explosion of ideas and possibilities opened up for me – exploring and experimenting became the air I drew in. Encountering a host of ideas I had no concept of did not paralysis me, rather it became fuel for my core, and in return I exhaled a meal that exalted all that we share, and flights of fancy I wanted to share. 

Stepping into the unknown has been the greatest gift I have given myself. I’m thrilled to meet a new soul, and with foodstuffs…if I have not seen it before I buy it because for me inspiration is found in the void between comfort and fear.

Spicy Bar-b-que Sauce - yields approx. 3 cups

2 chipolte chilies
5 black cardamom seeds
1 small onion
3 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup ketchup manis
1/4 cup pomegranate syrup
1-1/2 pounds tomato
1/8 cup cider vinegar
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Cooking Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a 1 quart sauce pan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 60 minutes. Fish out the 5 cardamom seeds, and discard. Place the remaining ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Store in the refrigerator.