Well, friends, it has been a while since I wrote anything here….and for my faithful five followers (at least I have some!) and others who have enjoyed my entries…I sincerely apologize for the lack of devotion to this blog the last several months. Truth of the matter is that I had a full time job for those months…and sadly, it did not work out. But I am back to cooking and writing, and ….<sigh>….looking for another job!
Midlife is a funny kind of thing. It seems like when you hit your 50’s you start rethinking your whole life. What I should have done, could have done, would have done….if only this or that had happened. And to make matters worse, I’ve been listening to a lot of Dan Fogelberg lately. Geesh…don’t do that if you are even mildly depressed! (I swear that every one of his songs were written about me and lost loves!) So, when I want to get my mind off of things and fill my time with something productive…what do I do?? Cook, my friends! Cooking is my therapy. No talking required, only skill and concentration with a lot of reward in the end….and the only cost is for the ingredients. I guarantee it is less expensive then laying on the couch and blabbing to the professional…and much more filling!
Dusting off the Julia Child’s Cookbook with one hand and a 4.5 pound rump roast in the other hand, I decided to make the Boeuf a La Mode (braised beef in wine). Warning here: If you don’t have all day to cook, do not attempt! This recipe is a good two pages in her cookbook and takes about 5 hours, not counting the marinade or the time spent drinking the wine…kidding. Ummmm…it’s not a little deal. You better have good music to cook by (I would not recommend Dan Fogelberg unless you want tears in your sauce.).
So, Kim…(I ask myself), why would you want to spend all day in the kitchen slaving over a recipe??? Five hours! Well…yes, I like to cook…but that is a long time. Like a full day’s work. And the pay? Well, …I guess the pleasure my family gets from experiencing a wonderful meal (French, at that!). But then, I started thinking….
I think the thing that pulled me and kept me in was the anticipation of getting to taste something that could take so much time and effort to make. I mean…it literally kept me going. Anything that you have to work so hard at and takes soooo long to prepare… Well, it surely must be something wonderful, even magical. And then, suddenly…it was no longer about the recipe. It was about this very simple life lesson we have all heard growing up: The very best things in life are worth waiting for and working for. Now, this applies to love, relationships, education, and careers….everything! And just as I am lately looking at my life reflecting and regretting or rethinking, I suddenly see a positive to this whole thing. Sometimes the very best thing can come towards or at the end…and when it comes, the appreciation is much greater and even love is enhanced to a different level. Sometimes….the best things don’t always happen in our youth, but in later years. Sometimes it is not about the now…but about the later. Yeah, this recipe kind of hit it home. I could have made my usual rump roast recipe in the oven (which, by the way is still great!). But I did the work…took the time…and found out that the results of my hard work and patience were all worth it in the end. The melt in your mouth satisfaction. That is what I want in life too…the melt in my mouth satisfaction. GREAT things are worth the work, the pain, the patience, and the time. Nothing good happens in a 30 minute dinner in a bag or box scenario. Sometimes recipes can teach us the strangest things….but this one hit home with me.
So…I enjoyed the wonderful meal because it not only tasted so good…but my heart was wrapped around this recipe in a new way by reading between the lines and applying it to my life. I hope this makes some sense to you all. But if not, it’s ok. Because I get it and I’m better with myself tonight for it.
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