Starter – Page 22 – Myfrenchkitchen

We have about three days left for remembering the old year and planning for the new year. Dreaming up new dreams. Setting new heights. Asking simple questions. Struggling with honest answers.

Part of dreaming new dreams and setting new goals, is a desire to give back more to life than receiving. Looking back on this year, I’ve seen our human soiety grasped in the claws of spending. We were/are admired for our talents. For our beautiful homes. And our beautiful blogs. For our wonderful recipes. Our creativity. We have friends across the globe, praising us for our kindness, gentleness, goodness. It has driven me to ask some simple questions during this time. A time which inspires real hope and renewal. Change. Growth..

Have you been grateful this past year, content with what you have? Without a desire for what you don’t yet have?

Have you given back more than you received?

Have you brought fresh vegetables to the grumpy old lady/man down the street whenever you brought back your own loaded bags? Do you even know a grumpy old lady for whom you could have dropped a fresh bread?

Have you dropped a coin in the hands of the beggar, or have you justified your simply walking past that it would have just be going for alcohol anyway…could you have helped in some different way…something that took more trouble, more effort…started making a difference? Have you even given it any thought after just walking on? Or have you just turned your head and started thinking of dinner?

Have you done anything consciously for charity, effort, planning, effort – just as you would do it for yourself? Or were you very busy.

Have you ever spent some of your precious time to go an old age home to read to the elderly? Do you know any elderly people? Do you know their fears? Their fascinating stories? Their needs? Or do you only hope to not grow into such an old sour prune?

Have you contributed in any way positively to our environment? Have you ever been to the dump yard? Talked to the people working there? Have you ever taken a pie and shared a coffee with them? Have you ever woken up early to thank the garbage workers for the work they do?

Could you have cared more in an unspending way for your dear ones? Without the aid of money. Without the aid of material things. Just you and your time. Your effort.

Could you have cared more in an unspending way for friends? For your community?

Did you run to the store to buy something to make you feel better, to rid you of depression, to lift your mood? Did you run to an stock full pantry to indulge in foods of all choices and flavours to wallow in your awful life?

Have you given a shoulder to someone in need? Reached out to a complete stranger?

Have you taken a dinner for someone at her/his home who was just simply tired, worn out, or just because you wanted to?

Have you done something special for someone, not so YOU could feel good afterwards, but because he/she needed it? Without receiving a thank you, without caring about a thank you?

Have you complained constantly about your circumstances and then got into a warm bed, luxurious bedlinen, having had a hot meal, even having sipped a glass of wine? Or complained about your misfortune…or about being misunderstood….or neglected?

Have you complained about your circumstances and then had had the luxury of ice in your drink or a cool glass of water to quench your thirst…turning the tap and having had water running freely to fill a bath to your heart’s content?

Have you written down at the end of each day how many good things life had handed you during the course of the day? Have you even noticed it?

On a bad day, have you even tried to find something good in your life?

Have you sat quietly and really listened to someone’s else’s fears, dried her/his tears without thinking of your own hurt, or comparing to your own hurt, but could only feel the sadness of this person?

Were you quick to rationalize and justify your own reasons or motives, your jealousy, your envy, your anger, your hurt…

Were you spiteful…were you critical…were you judgmental…were you righteous…

Were you deeply sorry after harsh words…did you admit it, say it out loud?

Were you ashamed after harsh behaviour…did you acknowledge it, say it out loud?

Have you sat down and wondered, marvelled at this wondrous thing called life?

What small things have you done, unnoticed by your friends and family, society… just because?

….And so these simple questions are never ending. One leads to another. Looking us straight on with raised eyebrows. Awaiting a response. Can we meet the straight stare? Can we be be honest in our answers? Do they make us look ahead differently? Will they change anything?

May 2010 be less about ourselves.

May we care more about the world around us. Our community.The bigger picture.

May we use our talents and our good fortunes to make the world better for everyone.

May we live each day with a long list of gratitudes. Small ones. Important ones.

May we give more attention to the small, insignificant aspects of life. May they grow and become life changing.

May we give in abundance. Love. Time. Attention. Care. Empathy. Understanding…

May we receive with grace. Love, Teachings. Lessons. Help. Advice…

May we ALL grow in wisdom and get to that place which is called peace. Contentment. Happiness. Understanding.

Bliss.

A Wonderful, rich 2010 to all.

Back from Hawai’i, I’m inspired to do some “island painting” and eat more seafood, especially fish. I’m alittle disappointed in the availability of fish and seafood there as well as exotic fruits. I expected a wealth of seafood and a whole range of interesting and different fish meals. We could find loads of pasta meals and New York steaks and hamburgers and chips, even French resturants, with Mahi Mahi quite frequently, but for the rest, exciting fish meals were scarce. We also had to drive quite deep into Kona island to find guavas , which we picked from a tree and they were absolutely delicious! But maybe the season wasn’t producing what I was looking for. At least it got me back into the “fish and fruit” zone again and the first thing I did when arriving back home – apart from loading a first bundle of washing – was to take off to the fish market and buy fish for our dinner! For now, a little appetizer – ocean inspired, to get going…

…baguette slices with seaweed salsa…

With a glass of cold, dry white wine, it is a good and easy little appetizer to tantalize the tastebuds while waiting for your fish to appear on the table. You can also be sure of many health benefits in seaweeds. In french we call it salade de mer, which literally means sea salad, composed of different sea weeds, found at health and Asian stores. It is healthy cocktail of vitamins and proteins and minerals.

The quantities are relative. Start with a little and add more as you proceed. Here is what I did:

2 TBSP of salade de la mer(a mixture of dried seaweeds)
1 heaped teaspoon of chopped , rinsed capers
a pinch of fennel fleur de sel
TBSP of rice vinegar
TBSP of mirrin
TBSP olive oil
Toasted slices of seeded baguette

Mix all the ingredients together and leave for about 10 minutes for the seaweed to absorb the oils and vinegars. Taste again and adjust seasoning. Serve in a little bowl along with toasted baguette slices.

* Suggestions:

The seaweed can be replaced by finely shredded white meat fish, or fish can be added along with the seaweed.
A drop or two of white balsamic vinegar can be added with lime/lemon juice and shallot wine vinegar, instead of the rice vinegar and mirrin, for a different interpretation.
The salsa can be eaten with fish, like tuna or a cod or any other “gentle flavoured” white fish”.
A cold dry white wine, like a chenin blanc is a good companion.
Don’t leave the seaweed salsa standing for too long, since it becomes “rubbery” after a while.
The seaweed mixture can be found at health stores or at Asian stores.

…ingredients…