My Food Affair..

My food affair possibly started on the day of my conception. Food you may think, is there to gratify an immediate need, hunger. But there is something different about my views on food that may surprise you, especially if you have never thought about food the way I do. We live in a world of immediate gratification, fast food and such a hectic paced life style that often one does not dedicate enough time to the one thing that can bring you daily pleasures.. three times a day, or even more. Better than sex – yes. Why? Because it is something that we can enjoy mindfully.

A food affair exists when you crave the familiar smells of spices such as cinnamon, vanilla, cumin and those incredible flavours of crushed raw garlic, freshly squeezed limes and grated ginger. When you pay close attention to these things you will find a whole new world to explore. Why you may ask? Because simply, when you combine these scents – you can transform the ordinary piece of fish into something magical.

I often think that people don’t pay this attention to flavours because they think it’s all so complex when in fact it is as simple as putting together a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. There are guidelines of course, but ultimately you are in control of a whole new world when you prepare something by just combining what comes logically to you. If you are a novice, then you may play around with recipes.. and learn what goes together. But honestly, you should put it at the back of your mind that cooking is difficult or that you don’t have time.

Certain pleasures come out of producing a meal. They can be compared to that of sensuality.. if you think about it more, you will be using your senses of smell, taste, touch and you will see and hear things that come from creating a treat that just does not come from collecting a box from a drive through.

When I go to the market I enjoy looking at all the different types of meats, fish, chicken and seafood and there is something special when you order it and have it wrapped up in brown paper – a little gift waiting to be pampered and enjoyed with someone you adore.

Going down the isles of fresh fruits and veggies makes me feel like a kid in a candy store – all loved up.. trying to think of what to pick. What will make that protein stand out, what beckons you to pick it – the size, the ripeness and colour of that red pepper or the smooth, pretty pink of a sweet potato.. the possibilities are so endless.

Then there are herbs, the true mother natures gift to mankind. The little special additives that you rarely find in a take away. Pungent and fresh aromas of cilantro, the green and dizzingly tantalizing smell of chives or parsley. Herbs add flavour and texture and can lift the most mundane and ordinary vegetable and transform it into a work of art with flavours of extreme blissfulness.

My love affair starts when I wake up and over coffee I contemplate what I would like to do to my pots.. give them a bit of a work out and possibly rape the fresh food isle at Woollies.. It is a distraction that satisfies me for each and every meal. Of course this is not for everyone. This may just be too much for the average busy individual.. but I don’t see how as I am a mother of three children and one is a three year old. What I find that I love most about my affair is that it happens all the time at any given moment and I am truly gratified with putting things together and satisfying a hunger in the right way.. with flavour and mindfulness. No gobbling down a toasted cheese while working .. you need to take the time to enjoy your food.

Of course, a love affair does not necessarily mean you have to prepare everything yourself. That is simply not possible all the time. So instead of going down to the Pub or chain take away, think about going to a market and finding fresh things just made by people with the same passion you may have and the gorgeous variety of freshly baked mini pies, intricately put together colourful salads and freshly and thinly sliced cured meats with simple baked Panini and olive oil drizzled loving all over. This is an outing anyone can do at any time of the day in any part or most part of the world.. I beg you to try it. There simply is something utterly delectable coming from markets that differs from sitting at a table in a restaurant.

The love affair is carried over to friends and family, all those that you love who come and enjoy what you have made. There is simply no excuse for not being able to put together a truly magnificent feast, no matter how simple it is.. as long as you select really fresh ingredients the possibilities are endless. 

To top it all off, sipping on a rich aroma of squeezed grapes that have been processed and turned into a magical drink of wine.. herein lies in your glass, a process often taken forgranted. Just imagine those beautiful hills in the country that carry rows and rows of beautiful grape vines. Hanging lovingly and fruitfully are masses of bunches of sweet little berries bursting and begging to be squeezed.

The humble farmer who raised them and maintained them till they grew with love removes them when they are ready to be taken. That in it’s own is a seduction process..

The numerous ways those grapes get treated to transform their ripe juices into a permeation of delicate tastes is an awe to behold. Who ever found the luxury tastes wrapped in those skins – when removed offer drops of sweetness that reminds me of the same feeling I feel about honey, a gift of nature.

When you pour the juice of the gods into a crystal clear glass and see how it runs down and pools there at the bottom of your glass for your pure enjoyment, you have to feel some form of satisfaction. In that liquid you will find scents that will remind you of flavours of food – asparagus, citrus, kiwi, or even spices such as pepper or vanilla. I love these moments when I sit back after a good meal and reflect the flavours in my wine. What to me may be berries and chocolate but to you be woody cherries and chai spice. There is no wrong answer, purely satisfaction for each individual and if you think about it that glass offers a few different world of tastes and feelings for each person so it truly is a gift.

If you take the time to reflect on your breakfast in the morning – even if it does happen to be oats, or an egg.. just think about little things that can transform it a bit and give it just that extra edge above the mundane thought that crossed your mind when looking for a bowl. You can keep stock of things that are a must in a pantry such as honey, good olive oil, berries (you can freeze them), herbs  - in little pots on your window sill, fresh garlic, ginger, limes and of course different breads and one of my favourites, variations of butter you can infuse with many different things and then roll up in glad wrap and forget about in the fridge, they last long, else freeze them.

There is just no excuse for you to enjoy each and every meal of the day.. 365 days of the year. I hope that your love affair will start soon if it has not already.