We all have that one piece of our wardobe that has seen so much, done so much for us, with us, against us. It has been there during the hard times and the good. It has seen us fat and thin and every shade between. It has laughed at us, supported us, held us. It might be an old brooch or a favorite pair of shoes, a scarf or a coat. I have a number of these, and this corest is one of them.
Sometimes we need to nurture, comfort and care for ourselves if we hope to serve the world to our fullest. A lot of femmes I meet seem to fogret this fact- we are the lover, parents, warriors and poets upon whom Atlas’ load is balanced. Without us the world would crumble and fall, without us we have this feeling the turning would stop and gravity would let everything we care about fly away into the ether.
One of my comfort foods is what I have deemed Comfort Garlic Toast. I have made variatons of it since I was a child. Powdered garlic, shredded cheddar and cheap bread were all it took for my mother to make me smile on a day someone had been mean to me or when I’d not aced a test. But I’ve grown up and the idea of a pool of cheddar grease leaves me wanting. This is my version of this treat and sometimes side dish to italian, french, or american cuisine… with a bit of grown up and a lot of childhood memory.
Thus I believe in the art of edible alchemy. We have the power to transform base ingredients to a higher purpose, and in my recipes I prefer to thus share more than the ingredients that went in. This first recipe in the Edible Alchemy series thus came to me when given an opportunity to sustain the lives, friendships and joys of friends and more of mine in Maine.
Whatever I am, femme is part of it. And its not about pleasing the world. Its about pleasing myself, and living fully.