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Consommed …
Posted by Joseph Riggio on Saturday, June 30, 2007Knowing what you want will get you started ... paying attention to what you’re getting will keep you on the right track ... choosing what you no longer need will make your life all the richer ... giving away what you’ve already gotten will enhance the lives around you. Summer can be the perfect time to think about skimming the pot.
Howdy folks,
I'm working hard these days ... defining - redefining - and re-redefining my offering(s). The real trick is called consolidation, shrinking the pie - not growing it.
SO I expect you'll see and sense some of these changes soon, they've been brewing, steeping and percolating for a while now. For anyone who's paying close attention the changes will be recognized as seismic, yet for most folks I expect it will look like more of the same ... and that's perfect for a guy who's been working for twenty-plus years at becoming a one-trick pony.
Years ago at a Mythogenic Self Experience training I presented the idea of making a stew ... and it was a bit hit (the story, the metaphor and the recipe). Well for anyone who's ever made or eaten a stew you'll know that usually you make a stew with a lot of chunky ingredients, e.g.: potatoes, carrots, celery, parsnips, chunks of beef ..., some liquid like vegetable or beef stock, some spices maybe some bay leaf, a little paprika (I personally prefer the truly hot Hungarian ones myself), rosemary, sage, thyme and of course some salt (Celtic Sea Salt if you're wondering) and a good freshly ground pepper mix (I like black, white and rose for this part). Then you let it all simmer together for as long as it takes for all the ingredients to cook thoroughly and the flavors begin to melt together. Then I suggest that one serve such a dish with some freshly baked peasant bread ... chunky, chewy and warm.
That's one way to make a dish ... and an approach I favored while it worked for me (and quite often I'd have to say for others). Letting the ingredients find one another and blend ... rather than isolating things out by themselves. Not so rarified as therapy (traditional therapy would be more like Nouvelle Cuisine ... lots of separate small things on a plate and it takes you many, many visits and a lot of money to fill up), more like a slam-dunk NLP approach to creating change (good old fashioned meat and potatoes, no frills - just what works - you sit down, you eat, you get fed) ... with some lovin' thrown in for good measure and the time to savor what you've created with others.
Now I find myself completely fascinated with making a consomme before I go -
This has required me to begin thinking about where all the flavor comes from, where (and how) it all gets contained, and how to concentrated it with all the lovin' and none of the frills. I used to think that this would be a more delicate dish, maybe even more fragile - yet I'm finding it a challenge to keep it both robust and transparent. I like the challenge!
Well I've learned a bit about making a kick-ass consomme, filling without the aftertaste or any lingering bloat ... just a nice, pleasant fullness ... just right. Now I've got to play with the flavors, and the technique for skimming and clarifying a bit more. So you can expect some well-formed meals next time we meat ... oh sorry, my fingers must have slipped, I meant "meet" of course. Something simple and clean ... we'll build our meal around the consomme and maybe follow that up with a bite of grilled fresh fish with a sprig or two of rosemary, some garlic and olive, a nice salad of mixed greens and slice or two of this wonderful olive and walnut bread I'm recently came across (hey I know my limitations - I'll leave the baking to the pros) ... and it's blueberry season in Princeton, I'll be at the orchard tomorrow picking up a couple of pints with my wife and daughter (literally picking them ourselves ...) maybe a tart will be in the offing as well `'~>
I'll be letting go of some of those old stew recipes, if any of you need those just let me know. Look for the new offering soon ... and a stripping away of some of the fat ... just the very best flavors and a touch of love.
Best regards,
Joseph Riggio, Social Ontologist & MythMaker
Princeton, NJ ... and soon to be cooking in Denmark ...
PS - You'll find my latest recipes in the most current issue of my audio newsletter Unconventional Advice still the best personal and professional development bargain around ... you simply can't get more for your money if you ask me ... I jam pack every issue until it's virtually busting at the seams with tasty morsels for your performance learning delight!
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