The poem referenced in the title is one that has stuck in my head for years and years, ever since I read it in... a cookbook? And indeed, looking back now, it's in the introduction of this very cookbook, Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian.
A Woman Cleaning Lentils
A lentil, a lentil, a lentil, a stone.
A lentil, a lentil, a lentil, a stone.
A green one, a black one, a green one, a black. A stone.
A lentil, a lentil, a stone, a lentil, a lentil, a word.
Suddenly a word. A lentil.
A lentil, a word, a word next to another word. A sentence.
A word, a word, a word, a nonsense speech.
Then an old song.
Then an old dream.
A life, another life, a hard life. A lentil. A life.
An easy life. A hard life, Why easy? Why hard?
Lives next to each other. A life. A word. A lentil.
A green one, a black one, a green one, a black one, pain.
A green song, a green lentil, a black one, a stone.
A lentil, a stone, a stone, a lentil.
— Zahrad
I've reached the lentil section now in her cookbook. It's been a week full of stones, but there is something about cooking lentils that is simple, comforting, and wholesome. Also, it is very difficult to screw up. We began the week with Lentils Topped with Gingery Spinach and Yogurt-- take some basic lentils cooked with onion, garlic, and chili pepper, then layer on a big handful of spinach you've sauteed with ginger, then a dollop of sour cream (in my case), and a sprinkling of fried onions on top. My husband doesn't like sour cream, and my daughter doesn't like onions, so we each had a different version.
Then there were several days where cooking just didn't work out. My daughter wanted to go out for sushi to celebrate her all A's report card (how dare she?). Work was so busy and long on the 4th of July that I came home exhausted, changed into my pajamas at 6:00 pm, and ordered perhaps the most disgusting Chinese delivery I have ever had (sorry, Grand China. It was so bad that we actually ended up throwing much of it away the next day, when we realized that the leftovers were not going to improve in freshness or taste). Saturday night was similar-- I literally cannot remember what we ate for dinner, only that I changed into my pajamas again. So that left Sunday, when I finally got my act together, rather late in the game (6:00), to finish both recipes for the week. This time we had "Lentils in a Sauce" (could there be a less elegant name?- the person at the link has renamed them "Moroccan Lentils in a Sauce")-- actually a quite delicious recipe that involves putting a bunch of ingredients in a saucepan and boiling. While I found the lentils needed a bit more water than called for, I was very happy with the results. We ate them with black olive bread from Giant, and some stir-fried carrots and summer squash.
I wish I had taken a picture of the squash before it was cut-- my coworker Mrs. Choi brought it to me from her garden, wrapped in a plastic bag, and slipped it to me before our shift began, urging me to put it into my purse quickly, because she had not brought enough for everybody. It was a very tasty squash. The carrots were just ordinary.
For dessert, I made this peach tart. I burned it around the edges because I was still busy working through an argument with my husband and forgot to take it out of the oven.
For dessert, I made this peach tart. I burned it around the edges because I was still busy working through an argument with my husband and forgot to take it out of the oven.
Nevertheless, the recipe was quick to put together, and tasty with whipped cream. Only the peach sauce got scorchy in spots, not the crust, so almost all of it was still edible, and we liked it. One note: the crumb topping contained almost all sugar, and very little flour, so as a result most of it sunk in and blended with the peaches. If I make it again, I will reduce the sugar and add more flour, in hopes of retaining some actual crumbs. The crumbs are my favorite part of fruit desserts!
Oh, and Monday we had eggy pancakes topped with fruit from the farmer's market, black raspberries and cherries and peaches and blueberries, yum.
Sticking to my cooking schedule is often one of my few crucial anchors in the midst of chaos. When I let even that go, you know I am adrift.
Oh, and Monday we had eggy pancakes topped with fruit from the farmer's market, black raspberries and cherries and peaches and blueberries, yum.
Sticking to my cooking schedule is often one of my few crucial anchors in the midst of chaos. When I let even that go, you know I am adrift.