Eating More Than Praying...

So the other night James and I had a date. I hadn't realized how long it had been until we started planning it. Then I thought, "This. Date. Must. Happen." And, it did.

We went to see the movie, "Eat, Pray, Love." I admit, I liked it for all it's dysfunctional chic flickiness and pretty much ignored what I didn't like. Isn't that what we all do. Or should do...maybe.

Anyhow, what I did like was the emphasis on food and how we can use that to learn to enjoy life more. I just don't think we do that as a culture here in America. I didn't learn to be a foodie from all the times my grandparents took me to dinner at Denny's, no. And don't get me wrong, I cherish those memories with them, but, not for the food. It was in the kitchen of friends and in the restaurants of Monterey Peninsula that I developed a longing for food that did more than stuff me. I wanted it to taste GOOD! Really good.

So, one scene in the film spends a lot of time chronicling an experience with pasta. It made me hungry. I could taste and smell it from watching and I am certain that is what the director was going for. I wanted that damn pasts. And get this, I don't generally crave pasta. Never. I crave things like cheese. And beef.

Well, this pasts sent me on a mission to create what I thought I saw on screen. I started with some olive oil. Tossed in a chopped onion, some chopped carrots and celery along with some garlic and cooked the veggies down. Oh yeah, I had already cooked about a pound of chicken breast in onion and garlic and put it to the side.

Once the veggies were cooked through, I poured in some simple canned tomato sauce and added salt, pepper, rosemary, parsley, and oregano. I waited til the end to add the chicken and some fresh basil from the planter on my porch.

I cooked the pasta perfectly al dente and tossed it all together with the sauce. I added some fresh Italian cheese on the top and it was wonderful. (I can't remember the name of the cheese and don't want to go look to tell you what it was, sorry.)

All this brings me back to how I am feeling tonight. Besides the food, a little more full. A good meal will do that you know. make you feel rich when the numbers say you're poor. Make you feel grateful when otherwise you might've sulked. I don't need to sulk anymore than I do. I am grateful, for a good meal, and a good life.