I'm In The Mood For Love.....

It is quite amazing really at how on even a very busy evening of trying desperately to co-ordinate dinner with soccer schedules and so forth that one can easily whip up a soul satisfying simple symphony of something delicious that will actually slow down the heart rate to....a civilized rhythem and leave the bearer of such a meal feeling joyful and amorous. (can you say run on sentence).

This is the moment when you create something so simple and fragrant that you realize in the most organic way that NO MICROWAVE will be required. Sigh. You also realize in this surreal moment that creating a simple dish with the most basic ingredients on hand that "Long and Slow is the Way to Go".

Tonight was such an evening - and it reminded me of how the French and the Italians know how to cook triumphantly using the freshest and most basic of ingredients. I am also reminded at how the human soul needs ritual and romance at every possible chance. Though our North American culture may pressure us sweet souls into a submissive lifestyle that begs us to heed to stress, I am here to scream - DON'T DO IT!

Though our lives will always include the unexpected and yes of course stress at times, please my friends remember it is just so essential to our Joie de Vivre to take the time to incorporate the beauty of life and love into our daily routine.

Here is what I am feeling after my dinner this evening: joyful, romantic, happy, peaceful. Yet I actually had quite a hell of a stressful day. So many things went wrong. The clincher however was the Costco sized water cooler bottle that cracked in the back of my van and poured out of my doors like a water fall..... My soul however was redeemed by a simple meditation at my stove that included poached sole. That's it. Here is the recipe that sent even my hard working husband out the door in a happy mood to coach my son's soccer practice (I promise I did not drug his dinner).

A Culinary Tonic for Two Weary Adults...will put you in the mood for love! Four frozen or fresh sole fillets. I also added 8 prawns with their tails on - it is so much sexier to eat prawns with your fingers and their tails on! In a pan add 1 tbsp. of olive oil and 1 tbsp. of garlic and cook over a low medium heat for a few minutes; then 2 cups of beef broth (this is what I had in the refrigerator though I did have chicken broth in the cupboard but was too lazy to retrieve it). Add one chopped onion, and 4 cups of organic greens (you know the salad you buy at Costo - I was just using mine up), or add 4 cups of spinach. I liked the organic lettuce because some of the bitter leaves in this mix really added to the dish. Then add 10 whole mushrooms "a la paris" to the entire pan with 1 cup of red or white wine - and pour one for yourself. I used red, but only because I didn't have white. And then, fresh oregano. Have you smelt fresh oregano? Nirvana. I put at least 1/2 cup of fresh oregano in this bath of seafood heaven. Improvise if need be! Then simmer your seafood concoction for about 20 minutes on low heat. I learned from my good friend Billy Moroz that it is best to undercook fish than to overcook. Make sure the fish is really moist, flaky and flexible then remove the sole and the veggies from the pan and set aside (cover in foil to keep warm or reheat briefly in the microwave to warm before serving). Reduce the pan juice by cranking the element heat up to high for just a few minutes. Once it looks as though it has simmered down a little add two tbsp. of sour cream and blend well. Then spoon this sauce over the fish casserole and dine joyfully!