The Silent Place

Junk in your trunk cookies:
bittersweet chocolate
crushed potatoe chips
and marshmallow


have you ever gone sledding and when you crash at the bottom of the hill all you want to do is just lay there? there is such profound silence in the snow. you can hear your own breathing, elevated from thrill, and the steady soft sounds of snow falling. somehow, in that moment you don't want to get up. you know how long of a treck back up the hill you have. you also know that once you reach the top you get to do it all over again, that crazy windswept ride down the hill. but you don't care, you just want to listen. you are alone, silent. in that moment, you are the epitamy of the word "STILL."
life is like that. the hills. the thrills. the moments at the bottom of the hill where you just don't have the strength to get up. it's cold, and icy. it's a sweaty climb. as i sit in the throws of a monster 14 inch snow storm here in chicago, i think about how many hills i've been down. there is a hill in particular that is bothering me. i'm anticipating having to get up and climb it. I'm here in chicago. in culinary school. doing what i ALWAYS wanted to do. why then, is my motivation so piddely? i mean, yes, i will GO FOR this with everything, but there has always been a fear in me to go that little bit farther... i hate that. i don't know. i guess i'm lonely. and you know what that means....
it's time to cook.
In my imaginary kitchen where everything is ok, and the pots and pans are shiney, and the produce is so green it looks like a cartoon, i am the master chef. tonight on the menu...

Seared Scallops in a peach, mint chutney. served with a spinach and goat cheese salad.
for dessert... simple. clean. iced mango's with vinilla sauce.

eat...


and be happy.