Here comes the sun! With the solstice stretching forward
into midsummer’s day. It’s easy to work up a thirst when the heat’s on high.
When you leave the windows open all night long and get up early to walk the dog. To water your garden before everything wilts. When you daydream about a
hammock under the trees, complete with light reading and a cool breeze. Then
once you’ve drained the iced tea or lemonade pitcher, and you need to start
thinking about what you might grill for dinner, you'll find that summer is
the best time of year to treat yourself to a little aperitif. Especially when
so many fruits are just dripping with juice to sweeten and expand the moment
even more.
To Set You Up for Grilling, Roasting and Broiling—
Never underestimate the power of even a simple marinade. Created
to extend the life of fresh seafood, poultry and/or meats while also adding flavor,
moisture and tenderness, marinades buy you time and flexibility along with
their taste and texture bonuses. They can also turn into a glaze or be reduced with
pan juices for an instant sauce. That’s why there are aisles and aisles of commercial brands lining grocery store shelves, but when you already stock your kitchen pantry with their basic,
multi-purpose ingredients, you can easily concoct your own personal favorites at a moment's notice. And then keep them on hand in
the fridge for the whole season long, ready and waiting to serve each immediate need.
We could all use some help. More time, energy and resources. New ways to
feel healthy, happy and satisfied at the end of each day. But sometimes the old
tried and true ways, or at least what’s behind them, remain the best. And since
our ancestors first hunted to gather and eat around the open fire, and later settled
down to
plant their gardens, orchards, fields and vineyards, we have always had to find ways to
make and save things for more challenging times. To put up the harvest for winter,
because our survival depended on it. When we couldn’t just run to the store or
opt to eat out.
With
only a few days left before our son’s wedding, this May Day it only makes sense
for me to send you flowers instead of words. Hopefully these photos will feel
like the childhood May baskets we delighted in running around with to hang on
our neighbor’s doorknobs with ribbon. Then ring the doorbell and run shrieking
with laughter.
If right now you hit the pause
button to even quickly skim back over your life so far, what are the moments you
imagine would rise to the top? I often find myself compelled to ask that
question at the beginning of each class, because considering what matters most
in any given situation is always so illuminating. And the answers students share around my kitchen table keep confirming the fact that for most of us,
it’s the simple, timeless things that continue to offer true happiness and
contentment. Things more fundamental than flashy.And I can’t help loving how often these cherished
life highlights involve
cooking and eating together, both of which remain at the heart of le joie de vivre.