Last month, on a trip to Portland Oregon, a very good friend, Anne Schwartz and her husband Dave, treated me to my first French restaurant, in downtown Portland. It was wonderful! I had lapine; Little rabbit meat rolled into cylinders, stood on end with a little piece of apricot on the top of each. Tender tasty rabbit. I also had a bowl of Butternut Squash soup. That too was soo good!I wished I could repeat the whole meal in my own kitchen. Anne is an inspiration to me. She has an incredible scientific mind that she has applied to cooking as well as other things. I decided to come home and apply a little daring and courage to my meals. It was a resolution that I have come accustom to making on each of my encounters with my friend Anne. What are friends for if they do not move us to become the imago Dei that was planned in the mind of God when were were created?
So tonight I looked up Butternut Squash recipe's on the internet and just figured out what proportions of water, squash, spices and dairy that could be involved in this soup. I went to the kitchen and whipped up the above lovely dish. I won't go into the details of getting every one to the table, but to say they all said it smelled great in the kitchen. We had our Easter table cloth on the table. It has eggs woven into the pattern. Very festive!
We said our dinner blessing, and I began to eat. Clara had just had surgery on her mouth, this meal would suit her fine. She was having trouble being at the table from the effects of the surgery. She ate fast and had to lie down. I was so happy that I was able to feed her. The other girls just quietly tried and it was revealed that they couldn't stomach it. Meanwhile, my bowl was almost gone.
Sometimes, when we try something new, the success of the attempt falls on the acceptance of the work. I experienced something new,... for me. I suspect that for many grown up persons, this is an every day event. I was sorry that my family could not eat, but I was not sorry for myself for the attempt, or filled with "self guilt" for being who I am, my tastes and attractions. I love the approach to food that the French incarnate. (What did you just say? That articulation sounds funny. What I mean is they appreciate food! And they give flesh to that appreciation in the making and consuming of what "is good".) Small amounts, some times rich, but delicate.
I had made a mess of the kitchen, the table was lovely, or I imagined it so. I had finished my soup and all I wanted was someone to drive to Zips and get hamburgers for those who could not eat. I didn't want more meal preparation to clean up after. They needed to eat. I needed to clean!
So here we are three days into Easter and Christ is Risen in the Mannino family! No one said "Yuck!" Everyone tried! My heart is full of gratefulness to God for transforming my measure of success, as well as some modes of presence we as a family have owned for a long time. My presence to the moments of cooking and eating, a caring presence when things don't go as planned, or when a child needs correcting. (The part of dinner prep I didn't mention.) Yes, Christ has risen! Alleluia! I am looking forward to the next 47 days of unrestrained rejoicing.
